Iran warns of blocking the Strait of Hormuz after new US strikes, oil rises again

The clash between the United States and Iran has deepened significantly, after Washington launched a new series of strikes against Iranian targets.

US authorities announced that 80 targets linked to the Iranian regime were hit. At the same time, the Axios portal reported that the operation was about five times larger, both in scope and in force, compared with the strikes carried out at the end of June.

US President Donald Trump, speaking from the NATO summit in Ankara, indicated that these strikes may not stop there and that there could be further developments within the next few hours.

“Perhaps we will strike them again hard in the coming hours,” Trump said.

For its part, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Pasdaran) announced that it had struck American military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. Iranian authorities also accused the United States of violating the memorandum of understanding between the two sides.

In response to warnings from Washington, an Iranian security source told state media that Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz if the US carries out further strikes.

There was also a reaction from the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who wrote on social network X:

“The era of bullying and blackmail is over. This leads nowhere and we will not surrender.”

The escalation of tensions was immediately reflected in financial markets as well. European stock markets fell, while oil prices posted a strong rise. Brent crude approached the level of $80 per barrel due to concerns over a disruption to global supply if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked.