Iran Claims New Strikes as Gulf Tensions Escalate, Houthis Announce Red Sea Blockade
Iran has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting maritime and military interests in the Middle East as the conflict involving Tehran, the United States and regional allies continues to intensify.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel.
The group also claimed responsibility for attacks on two other ships in the strategic waterway.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre confirmed that a tanker had come under attack off the coast of Oman, although the circumstances surrounding the incident remained under investigation.
In a separate development, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement announced an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb Strait would be closed to Saudi vessels, citing what the group described as a prolonged blockade against Yemen.
Saudi Arabia condemned the announcement and said it would take all necessary measures to protect its ships in accordance with international law.
The developments come as the United States continues its campaign of airstrikes against Iran, with the conflict entering its 10th consecutive night.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the country has returned to “full-scale war”, while Iran’s Interior Minister travelled to Pakistan for talks amid efforts to mediate in the escalating crisis.
The Revolutionary Guard also claimed it had attacked a US military facility in Jordan.
Jordanian state television earlier reported that three missiles launched from Iran had been intercepted after air raid sirens sounded in Amman.
The latest escalation follows the deaths of US service members in an Iranian strike on an airbase in Jordan, as Tehran continues targeting countries in the Gulf region hosting American forces.
Iranian state media also reported that the Revolutionary Guard had targeted infrastructure belonging to US technology company Amazon in Bahrain.
There was no immediate confirmation from Bahraini authorities, and the report could not be independently verified.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the crisis. The vital waterway carries a significant share of the world’s energy supplies, and continued disruption could have far-reaching consequences for global shipping and oil markets.
