The conflict between the United States and Iran intensified Monday, with both sides launching new attacks that further jeopardized shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and raised concerns about drinking water supplies across the Persian Gulf.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted U.S. military assets in Kuwait, Jordan and Syria after another night of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian cities. U.S. Central Command said its latest attacks were aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar and Bandar Mahshahr. At least one person was reported killed and several others injured near Tabriz.
President Donald Trump defended the latest U.S. strikes, saying they were carried out in honor of American service members killed in recent Iranian attacks.
The fighting also expanded to civilian infrastructure. Kuwait said one of its desalination plants was struck for the second consecutive day, causing a fire. Desalination facilities provide most of the drinking water for many Gulf nations, raising fears that continued attacks could disrupt water supplies for millions of people.
Iran has accused the United States of targeting one of its desalination plants and has warned it would retaliate against similar facilities elsewhere in the region.
The conflict continues to disrupt global energy markets. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed two oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz were disabled after explosions, though Reuters could not independently verify the report. Separately, a commercial vessel off the coast of Oman was struck by an unidentified projectile, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency. The crew was reported safe.
Oil prices briefly climbed above $90 per barrel Monday as uncertainty over shipping through the vital waterway continued. In the United States, the national average price of gasoline rose back above $4 per gallon, increasing political pressure on the Trump administration ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Despite the escalating military exchanges, both Washington and Tehran indicated they remain open to diplomacy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is willing to pursue a diplomatic solution if Iran ends its attacks on commercial shipping, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry said diplomacy remains an option alongside military action.
The war, which began in late February with U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, has killed thousands of people, most of them in Iran and Lebanon.
Source: Reuters