The United States launched approximately 140 air strikes against Iranian military targets following Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz [1].
This escalation threatens one of the world's most critical oil transit points and marks a significant increase in direct military confrontation between the two nations.
The operations took place between the night of Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12 [2]. U.S. Central Command targeted military sites inside Iran in response to an Iranian attack on a merchant vessel [1]. Iranian officials said the ship had entered a "non-authorised" route within the strait [1].
In response to the U.S. strikes, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a total ban on all transit through the Strait of Hormuz [3]. The Revolutionary Guard said, "Les Gardiens de la révolution ont annoncé cette nuit interdire toute traversée du détroit d'Ormuz" [3].
Iranian forces also fired warning shots at two ships [4]. The strikes on Iranian soil involved roughly 140 targets [1], according to reports from La Nouvelle République and Libération [1].
The Strait of Hormuz serves as the primary maritime gateway between Iran, the coastlines of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. The closure of this waterway restricts the flow of global energy supplies and increases the risk of a wider regional conflict.
“The United States launched approximately 140 air strikes against Iranian military targets”
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz combined with large-scale kinetic strikes suggests a breakdown in diplomatic deterrence. Because this waterway is a global chokepoint for petroleum, the military standoff is likely to trigger immediate volatility in global energy markets and force international maritime coalitions to consider escort missions to maintain trade flow.
