US hits Iranian bases as Hormuz closure jolts Gulf and oil trade
Why it matters: tanker traffic through the strait has nearly stalled, pushing up oil prices as Kuwait and Bahrain reported drone threats.
The United States struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites and coastal surveillance facilities, while Iran targeted military bases and US-linked assets across the region as the confrontation widened. US Central Command said the latest attacks hit sites in Bandar Abbas and on Greater Tunb Island. Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran and strikes in Chabahar and Ahvaz, where a children's cancer treatment center was evacuated after a nearby hit. Kuwait's military said it intercepted drones, and Bahrain urged residents to seek shelter. The Strait of Hormuz remained closed after Tehran effectively blocked the waterway, while Washington reinstated a blockade on Iranian ports. Oil prices jumped as tanker traffic through the chokepoint slowed sharply.