Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran entered a sharper new phase this week, as Washington launched its third straight overnight wave of airstrikes on Iranian targets that has left at least three people dead, followed by a sweeping announcement of new economic and security measures targeting the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Shortly after confirming its forces had completed the latest round of strikes on Tuesday, the US Department of Defense released combat footage documenting the attacks, bringing a new level of visibility to the expanding military campaign that resumed earlier this year. In a public statement issued Tuesday afternoon, former US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would reimpose a full blockade on Iranian commercial shipping moving through the Persian Gulf.
Trump asserted that the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical chokepoints for global oil trade, through which roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil consumption passes — would remain open to international shipping regardless of Iran’s objections. As part of the new security framework, he added, the US would impose transit fees on all commercial vessels passing through the waterway, including a 20% surcharge designed to cover all costs associated with providing security for transiting ships.
This sharp escalation of military and economic pressure comes despite intermittent diplomatic talks aimed at de-escalating the conflict, which the US formally resumed in February. The renewed strikes mark a clear breakdown in these tentative negotiations. Last week, Trump formally notified Congress of the resumption of hostilities, granting the Pentagon a 60-day extension to conduct military operations in the region without explicit congressional approval.
Beyond the Gulf shipping measures, Trump has also issued an explicit threat to destroy Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried underground facility near Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex. Western intelligence agencies have long alleged that the site is being developed to house an undeclared nuclear enrichment program, a claim Iran has repeatedly denied.
On Tuesday, Iran’s state-owned media reported that five separate explosions were heard west of Bandar Abbas, Iran’s key port city located along the edge of the Strait of Hormuz. The state broadcaster did not release additional details on casualties or damage from the blasts.
In a post on the social platform X, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, confirmed that Tehran had introduced a new draft bill aimed at cementing the country’s control over waterway security. Azizi noted that the legislation — titled the Strategic Action for the Security and Sustainable Progress of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf — was formally introduced to parliament overnight, coinciding with Iran’s reported downing of multiple US drones operating in Iranian airspace. He emphasized that Tehran remains unwavering in its commitment to defending its national red lines, particularly when it comes to sovereignty and management of the strategic waterway.
The escalating cross-region tensions have also drawn in neighboring Gulf states. Bahrain’s defense forces announced earlier this week that they had intercepted multiple Iranian drone and missile attacks targeting the kingdom on Sunday, accusing Tehran of waging a deliberate campaign of aggression against Bahraini territory. In an official statement, the Bahrain Defence Force said the Iranian attacks targeted civilian areas and private infrastructure, arguing that “the deliberate use of missiles and drones to target civilians and private property constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.” Bahraini authorities have urged local residents to remain vigilant and avoid any suspicious objects in the wake of the attacks.