United News of Bangladesh

The United States widened its airstrike campaign in Iran early Friday by targeting bridges, as President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Tehran to ease its control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with fresh missile attacks on U.S.-allied countries in the Middle East, warning that further retaliation would intensify. Qatar urged residents to take shelter after Iranian missiles targeted the country. Air defense systems intercepted the barrage, though falling debris injured a child, according to Qatar’s Interior Ministry. Iran also targeted Bahrain and Kuwait following overnight U.S. strikes. The collapse of last month’s interim ceasefire has led to continued exchanges of attacks. Iranian officials said U.S. strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded over 300, with additional casualties reported on Friday. Iranian military spokesperson Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned that Tehran could target regional infrastructure if Washington attacks Iranian bridges or power plants, describing the Strait of Hormuz as Iran’s “invincible red line.” Iranian state media reported that overnight U.S. strikes hit bridges in Bandar Khamir in Hormozgan province, killing at least seven people. The U.S. Central Command said dozens of targets were struck during its sixth consecutive night of operations. Meanwhile, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply as the U.S. tightened its naval blockade and regional security risks escalated.

International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol has cautioned that global energy security will remain under threat unless oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz increase. Speaking at a Council on Foreign Relations event, Birol said oil security continues to be a major concern and warned that the situation could worsen if conditions fail to improve over the coming weeks. The Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway between Iran and Oman that previously carried around one-fifth of global energy supplies, has remained largely closed since the conflict erupted on February 28. Birol said the disruption to oil and gas flows has affected economies worldwide, with Asian countries bearing the brunt of the crisis. According to him, Asia had relied on the strait for 80 to 90 percent of its energy imports. While Japan and South Korea have been significantly affected, Birol said developing countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and India have suffered the greatest impact from the supply disruption. With inputs from Al Jazeera

Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 12 people in Gaza over the past two days, local health officials said Wednesday, as attacks continue almost daily despite a ceasefire with Hamas that has been in place for months. On Wednesday, three members of the same family were killed in central Gaza, according to officials at Al Aqsa Hospital. On Tuesday, a woman and six police officers were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a police station in the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, hospital officials said. In separate incidents, a man was killed in a strike on a tent camp in Khan Younis in the south, while a child was shot dead by Israeli forces in the Muwasi area outside the southern city of Rafah, according to hospital officials. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes in central and southern Gaza. Regarding the attack on Jabaliya, it said four of the police officers killed were Hamas militants, though it did not provide evidence linking them to the planning or execution of attacks. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry identified one of those killed as Col. Mohamad Marwan Salem, a senior police commander and head of the Jabaliya police station. Hamas, which governed Gaza for years, operates both an armed wing and civilian police and security services under its Interior Ministry. Throughout the conflict, Israel has repeatedly targeted local police, including officers assigned to protect humanitarian aid convoys. The Israeli military has said it considers police stations legitimate military targets if they are being used to support military operations or if personnel there are involved in terrorist activities. However, it did not specify what military activities it believed were taking place at the Jabaliya police station or provide evidence to support its claim. Hamas has maintained that its police force is responsible for maintaining law and order. Israeli attacks on Gaza's police have drawn criticism from the United Nations human rights office, which said police personnel had been targeted at least a dozen times in 2026, including while directing traffic and conducting routine patrols. "The pattern of attacks raises concerns that Israeli forces apply no distinction between police personnel and fighters belonging to armed groups in Gaza," the UN human rights office said in a June 3 statement. Ofer Guterman, a researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, said Israel appears to view parts of Hamas' policing system as closely linked to its military infrastructure through dual-role personnel and the use of police facilities for storing weapons and supporting military operations. The ceasefire agreement reached in October sought to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas. Although large-scale fighting has eased, Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 1,123 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led government, keeps detailed casualty records that are generally regarded as credible by UN agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children account for most of the fatalities. Militants have continued carrying out shooting attacks on Israeli troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to those attacks and other ceasefire violations. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the truce began. The war started after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage. Since then, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,264 Palestinians, including those killed after the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The United States stepped up its military campaign against Iran early Thursday, carrying out strikes deeper into northern parts of the country while also disabling a vessel it accused of attempting to breach its naval blockade. Iran responded before dawn by launching missiles and drones toward Bahrain and Kuwait. The latest exchange of attacks between the US and Iran across the Middle East, along with renewed tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, has undermined the interim agreement aimed at ending the conflict and raised fears of another full-scale war. Iranian officials said US strikes have killed more than 35 people and injured over 300. The attacks also reached areas around Tehran for the first time during this latest escalation. After the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. The move drove up global prices of oil, fertilizer and other commodities while giving Iran added leverage in negotiations. US, Iran exchange warnings as conflict escalates The sharp rise in energy prices has created political challenges for US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of November's congressional elections. However, Washington has struggled to reopen the key shipping route, prompting Trump to restore the naval blockade on Wednesday. Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tehran was ready for a broader military confrontation if the US failed to honor the terms of the interim agreement. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also warned it could stop all energy exports from the Middle East in response to the blockade. "The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one," the Guard said. Trump again claimed Iran wanted a peace agreement but gave no further details. "They don't like what we're doing, and they do want to settle. We'll find out whether or not we settle with them, or we just finish it off," he said Wednesday at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania. Fresh attacks launched by both sides Iranian state media reported that US strikes early Thursday targeted areas around Tehran as well as Semnan province, home to Iran's ballistic missile production facilities and space program. On Wednesday, the US resumed conducting daylight strikes, reflecting an increased pace of military operations. US Central Command said its attack on Greater Tunb Island, a strategically important location in the Strait of Hormuz, targeted Iranian missile and defense positions. The US military also said it fired on the Curacao-flagged oil tanker Belma, which was heading toward Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf. According to the military, the vessel ignored repeated warnings, prompting a US aircraft to disable it by firing a missile into its smokestack. Another US strike on Wednesday hit barracks belonging to Iran's 388th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iranian state television reported. The report said at least 13 missiles were fired, killing seven soldiers, including both conscripts and career personnel, while several others were wounded. Strait of Hormuz remains central to the conflictThe Strait of Hormuz continues to be the main focus of the conflict. Reopening the strategic waterway has remained a major challenge for Washington since Iran restricted shipping during the early days of the war. During the interim agreement, some commercial vessels resumed using a US-monitored route near Oman that lay outside Iran's control. In recent days, however, Iran has attacked ships using that route, triggering further exchanges with US forces. Washington has warned it could reopen the strait by force, although military experts say such an operation would require a significantly larger naval deployment and possibly tens of thousands of ground troops. Reimposing the blockade is seen as another means of increasing pressure on Tehran. Meanwhile, oil prices continue to climb. Brent crude, the global benchmark, traded above $85 per barrel on Thursday, more than 15% higher than before the war, though still below the nearly $120 per barrel recorded at the peak of the conflict.

The United States on Wednesday launched airstrikes on Iran's Greater Tunb Island in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting military facilities that Washington said were being used to threaten commercial shipping in one of the world's most critical energy corridors. The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said the 90-minute operation targeted Iranian defence positions and missile sites on the island, which has been under Iranian control since 1971 after being seized from what later became the United Arab Emirates. According to CENTCOM, the strikes were intended to further reduce Iran's ability to launch attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. "The strikes further degraded Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," the command said in a statement. The latest operation comes as the United States has reinstated a naval blockade on Iran and expanded its military campaign in response to Tehran's attacks on vessels operating in the strategic waterway. The renewed confrontation has effectively derailed a temporary agreement reached last month that had paused hostilities for 60 days to allow negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme and other disputes. Tensions have intensified in recent days as both countries exchanged military strikes across the region, raising fears that the conflict could escalate into a broader regional war. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned earlier Wednesday that it could halt all oil and gas exports from the Middle East in response to the renewed US blockade. "The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one," the IRGC said. The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the confrontation. The narrow waterway handles roughly one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil and natural gas trade, making any disruption a major concern for global energy markets. Washington first imposed the naval blockade on Iran in April before lifting it last month following the interim agreement. However, negotiations later stalled amid renewed clashes over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the United States to restore the blockade and intensify its military operations against Iranian targets.

Iran on Wednesday threatened to stop all oil and gas exports from the Middle East after the United States reinstated its naval blockade and intensified airstrikes against the country, further escalating tensions that have pushed the region closer to a wider conflict. The latest exchange of attacks follows the collapse of an interim agreement aimed at ending hostilities between Washington and Tehran, with renewed fighting centred on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy shipping route. According to Iranian officials, US airstrikes targeted several military sites, including a barracks belonging to Iran's 388th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Sistan and Baluchestan province. At least seven Iranian troops were killed and more than 260 people were wounded in overnight strikes, while government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said more than 30 people had been killed in recent days. Iran's state television reported that at least 13 missiles struck the military base, killing both conscripts and professional soldiers. Iranian authorities said the army would respond decisively to what it described as American aggression. The US military's Central Command said it carried out strikes on dozens of targets during a seven-hour overnight operation and resumed attacks during daylight hours, signalling an increase in the pace of military operations. The renewed hostilities come after Washington restored the naval blockade it had first imposed in April before lifting it last month following an interim deal that suspended fighting for 60 days to allow negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme and other issues. Those talks have since stalled as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz intensified. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that if the blockade continues, no country in the region would be allowed to export oil or gas. "The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one," the IRGC said in a statement. The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the dispute, with about one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas trade passing through the waterway during normal times. Iran had effectively disrupted shipping through the strait during the early stages of the conflict, causing global energy prices to surge. Although some commercial vessels resumed using an alternative route near Oman under US military protection during the ceasefire, Iran recently targeted ships using that corridor, triggering another round of military exchanges. Iran also launched missile and drone attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan on Wednesday, according to regional authorities. Missile warning sirens sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait, while Jordan said it intercepted three incoming Iranian missiles. Tehran claimed responsibility for the attacks, targeting countries that host US military forces. US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Iran had launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Gulf Arab states in recent days. US President Donald Trump warned that American military operations would continue unless negotiations resumed. "You better make a deal, or you're not going to have anything left," Trump said, indicating that bridges, power plants and other infrastructure could become future targets. Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, accused Washington of escalating the conflict, saying in a letter to the UN that "the US is the aggressor, not the victim." The renewed fighting has also affected global energy markets. Brent crude traded above $85 per barrel on Wednesday, more than 15 percent higher than before the conflict began, although still below the peak levels reached earlier during the war. Trump had earlier proposed imposing a 20 percent fee on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz but later abandoned the plan, saying Gulf allies instead pledged major investment in the United States. Regional mediators continue efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table, though prospects for renewed diplomacy remain uncertain amid the ongoing military escalation.

The United States early Wednesday reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports following Tehran's attacks on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering fresh strikes on countries hosting American forces as an interim peace deal continued to unravel. Days of retaliatory attacks by Iran and the United States, along with both sides' efforts to assert control over the strategic waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passes during peacetime, have raised fears of a return to full-scale war in the Middle East. The US first imposed the blockade in mid-April and lifted it in mid-June, a day after signing an interim agreement that allowed a 60-day period for negotiations on issues including Iran's nuclear programme. However, talks have stalled as fighting around the Strait of Hormuz has intensified. When US President Donald Trump announced the return of the blockade on Monday, he also proposed imposing a 20% fee on ships passing through the strait. Hours later, however, he dropped the plan, saying Gulf allies had requested an alternative approach. Fresh attacks after blockade resumes Ahead of reimposing the blockade, the US military launched another wave of strikes, according to US Central Command. Missile alerts were issued in Bahrain and Kuwait early Wednesday as Iranian missiles targeted the two countries, continuing a pattern of daily attacks that has further strained the fragile ceasefire. Hours after the blockade was reinstated, Iranian state media reported an exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz without providing further details. Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said Iran had launched dozens of missiles and drones at neighbouring Gulf Arab countries. "US forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives," Cooper said. The US currently has at least 19 warships in the Arabian Sea, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship carrying more than 1,000 Marines. Central Command also said hundreds of military aircraft are operating across the Middle East. Since the war between the US, Israel and Iran began on Feb. 28, Tehran has repeatedly targeted and threatened commercial vessels, disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and driving up global prices for oil, fertiliser and other goods. More recently, Iran has attacked ships travelling through a US-monitored shipping route near Oman, outside Tehran's control, fuelling the latest escalation. The US has warned it could reopen the strait by force, although experts say such an operation would require a much larger military deployment. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, accused Washington of being the aggressor. "The US is the aggressor, not the victim," he wrote to the UN chief, according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency. Trump drops shipping fee proposal Trump said Tuesday that Gulf leaders had urged him to replace the proposed shipping fees with increased investments in the United States. "They said we'd love to do it a different way. We'd love to invest in the United States with billions and billions of dollars," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He said he preferred that arrangement because "I don't think anybody should be able to charge a fee for the strait." It remains unclear whether the proposed investments would be in addition to commitments announced during Trump's visit to the region last year. Trump's proposal to charge ships for using the strait would have marked a major shift from longstanding US policy supporting free navigation through the waterway. In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday night, Trump warned that additional US strikes on Iran would continue over the next two days, with bridges and power plants among possible future targets unless negotiations resumed. "You better make a deal, or you're not going to have anything left," he said. Strikes continue across the region US Central Command said it carried out strikes at several locations in Iran on Tuesday. Iranian authorities acknowledged the attacks but did not provide an overall assessment of casualties or damage. Hours after the US announced the end of its operations, Iran's Bushehr city on the Persian Gulf was struck at four locations, according to IRNA. Explosions were also reported in Ahvaz in southwestern Iran and the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. The attacks have raised speculation that Gulf Arab states may be responding militarily to Iran without publicly acknowledging it. Kuwait separately said an Iranian strike wounded four members of its navy on Tuesday and set a building on fire. Interim peace deal under pressure Under the interim agreement, Iran pledged to allow free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days. However, the deal did not address what would happen afterward. Tehran maintains it has the right to regulate shipping through the strait and potentially charge fees, a position disputed by Washington. Brent crude oil briefly rose above $87 a barrel on Tuesday before falling to around $78 after Trump withdrew his shipping fee proposal. Meanwhile, regional mediators are continuing efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table. Two regional officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive diplomatic efforts, said Pakistan-led mediation is working around the clock to restore the ceasefire.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday abandoned plans to impose fees on ships using the Strait of Hormuz, saying Gulf nations would instead boost investment in the United States, as renewed U.S. strikes on Iran and Iranian attacks on shipping and American allies further undermined an interim peace agreement. The temporary deal had been expected to reopen the strategic waterway, a vital route for global energy supplies, while giving negotiators time to work toward a permanent settlement to the conflict. Instead, fighting has escalated again, raising concerns over the global economy and prompting new warnings for commercial airlines. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's traded crude oil and natural gas passes during peacetime, has become the centre of the conflict. During the war, Iran effectively disrupted traffic by attacking and threatening vessels, pushing up global prices for oil, fertiliser and other commodities. More recently, Iran has targeted ships using a U.S.-supervised shipping route outside its territorial waters, triggering a series of retaliatory strikes. Washington has warned it could reopen the strait by force, although experts say such an operation would require a much larger military deployment. Trump replaces shipping fees with Gulf investment plan On Monday, Trump announced that the U.S. would reimpose a blockade on Iranian ports and charge ships fees equal to 20% of their cargo value to help cover the cost of securing the strait. However, he reversed the fee proposal a day later, while confirming that the blockade would still take effect in the coming hours. "Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States," Trump wrote on social media. He said the expected investments would be "massive," although it remains unclear whether they represent new commitments beyond those announced during his Middle East visit last year. US-Iran exchanges continue The U.S. military's Central Command said it had struck several targets in Iran, including coastal defence systems, missile and drone sites, and maritime facilities. Iran confirmed the attacks but did not immediately report casualties or damage. The U.S. military said the strikes were aimed at reducing Iran's ability to target civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by launching attacks targeting Bahrain, Jordan and three tankers travelling through the strait. Kuwait's military also reported responding to an aerial attack but provided no further details. Two of the targeted tankers, linked to the United Arab Emirates, caught fire temporarily. The International Maritime Organization said the attacks on the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah killed two mariners and injured 14 others. The UAE warned it would retaliate. Dutch shipping company Stolt Tankers said one of its vessels, Stolt Magnesium, came under attack off the coast of Oman, causing a fire in its engine room. The company said all crew members were safe. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah had ignored repeated warnings. Tehran has previously targeted vessels using a shipping route near Oman that lies outside Iranian territorial waters. Hours after Washington announced it had ended its latest round of strikes, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that at least four locations in the Gulf city of Bushehr had come under attack, raising speculation that Gulf Arab states may have carried out retaliatory strikes without publicly acknowledging them. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency advised airlines to avoid the airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf of Oman, warning that the volatile military situation posed a high risk to civilian flights. Interim agreement under growing strain The renewed violence has placed the interim peace agreement under increasing pressure. The 60-day deal was intended to provide time for negotiations on a broader accord, including Iran's disputed nuclear programme and other regional issues. Trump's decision to restore the blockade further complicates those efforts. The United States had lifted a blockade imposed in mid-April as part of the temporary agreement, but the U.S. military said it would reinstate it from midnight Wednesday in Dubai. The proposed shipping fees would also have marked a major shift in longstanding U.S. policy, departing from recent assurances by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the strait would remain open to all vessels without tolls. Under the interim agreement, Iran agreed to allow free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days, but the arrangement did not specify what would happen afterward. Tehran maintains it has the right to regulate traffic through the waterway and potentially impose charges, a position disputed by Washington. Brent crude oil briefly climbed above $87 a barrel early Tuesday, well below the nearly $120 peak seen during the height of the conflict but still high enough to fuel inflation concerns. Prices later fell to around $78 after Trump announced he was dropping the fee plan. Mediation efforts continue Regional mediators are continuing efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table, according to two regional officials familiar with the talks. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said Pakistan-led mediation was working around the clock to revive the ceasefire. Meanwhile, Lebanese and Israeli delegations were scheduled to meet in Rome on Tuesday for another round of U.S.-mediated negotiations. Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Iran shortly after the war began on Feb. 28, launching attacks on Israel that prompted an Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon. Last month, Lebanon and Israel announced a framework agreement calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament, but implementation has stalled. Although a ceasefire currently holds in Lebanon, uncertainty remains over whether it can survive if fighting between the United States and Iran escalates into a full-scale war once again.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they launched missiles and drones targeting Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport on Monday, hours after blaming Saudi airstrikes for hitting Sanaa International Airport in a sharp escalation of tensions. No casualties were immediately reported from either attack. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group carried out the strike in retaliation for what it described as Saudi attacks on Sanaa airport. He also warned commercial airlines against using Saudi airspace until what he called the blockade on Sanaa International Airport is lifted. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the reported strikes. However, the spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, later said Saudi air defenses had intercepted ballistic missiles launched toward the kingdom's southern region without providing further details. Earlier in the day, Yemen's internationally recognized government said the strike on Sanaa airport was intended to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing. Yemeni Defense Minister Gen. Taher al-Aqili said the airport runway was targeted to stop an Iranian plane from returning a Houthi delegation from Tehran following the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the Houthis, the Iranian aircraft was diverted to Hodeida Airport instead. The Yemeni government also announced the closure of all airports across the country until further notice and ordered the evacuation of Sanaa airport and surrounding areas. The Presidential Leadership Council said it had rejected Iran's request to allow a Mahan Air flight from Tehran to Sanaa, accusing the Houthis of attempting to receive the aircraft outside established civil aviation procedures. The latest exchange marks the most serious confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia since a UN-brokered truce took effect in 2022, ending years of frequent cross-border attacks. The developments prompted an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, where UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Khaled Khiari warned against a renewed cycle of violence. "Yemen and the wider region cannot afford another cycle of escalation," he said, urging all parties to return to negotiations under UN mediation. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg also voiced concern over the deteriorating situation and called for dialogue to preserve the relative calm that has largely held since 2022. Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.

The United States launched a new wave of military strikes on Iran early Tuesday, targeting coastal military infrastructure, while Tehran retaliated by attacking Bahrain and two United Arab Emirates-linked tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, further escalating tensions in the Gulf. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces struck military targets in Bushehr, Chabahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa and Bandar Abbas, targeting Iran's coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites, and maritime capabilities. CENTCOM said the strikes were intended to reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and regional security. US President Donald Trump confirmed the operation, saying the attacks would continue and asserting that Washington had "reinstated" a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at the White House, Trump said the United States was regaining control of the strategic waterway and indicated that his administration planned to seek compensation from commercial vessels for providing maritime security, marking a major departure from longstanding US policy supporting unrestricted freedom of navigation. Iran responded by launching attacks on Bahrain and targeting two UAE-associated oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz. According to the UAE Defense Ministry, two cruise missiles struck the tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, killing one Indian crew member and injuring eight others, including six Indians and two Ukrainians. Fires broke out aboard both vessels but were later extinguished. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the tanker attack, alleging the ships had ignored repeated warnings and entered a restricted area. Bahrain also came under renewed missile attack, prompting authorities to activate air raid sirens and advise residents to seek shelter. No casualties or damage were immediately reported. The UAE condemned the attacks and said it reserved the right to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, citizens and residents. The latest escalation comes amid an ongoing dispute between Washington and Tehran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route for global energy supplies. Oil prices rose following the renewed hostilities, with Brent crude climbing above $84 per barrel in early trading. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate in Dubai canceled consular appointments through Wednesday, citing the deteriorating regional security situation.