The United States has launched fresh military strikes on Iranian targets in response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating a months-long standoff that is now spilling into global markets and transatlantic diplomacy. The move comes as President Donald Trump faces resistance from NATO allies over plans to blockade Iranian ports, with oil prices surging and tensions running high ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara.
New Strikes Over Hormuz Shipping Threats
A US official confirmed on Wednesday that American forces carried out strikes targeting an Iranian drone operation near Bandar Abbas, a key port city on the Strait of Hormuz. The operation shot down four Iranian attack drones and hit a ground control station that was preparing to launch a fifth.The Pentagon described the action as “measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire” that has been in place since early April.
Iranian state media reported explosions near Bandar Abbas and said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy had fired toward a US oil tanker trying to transit the strait, forcing it to turn back.
The exchange was the third direct military engagement between Washington and Tehran since the April 8 ceasefire. Hours later, the IRGC said it had struck a base used by US forces in response, while Kuwait’s military reported intercepting hostile targets.US Central Command also said commercial ships were still transiting the strait despite Iranian threats to close it, and that no US warships had been struck.
Oil Markets React To Gulf Escalation
The strikes immediately rattled energy markets. After falling more than 5% on Wednesday, US crude futures rebounded nearly 2% to $90.38 a barrel in early Asian trade on Thursday.
The volatility reflects the strait’s outsized role in global energy. About one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman.
President Trump said the US military had secretly escorted ships carrying more than 100 million barrels of oil out of Hormuz, arguing the operation helped keep prices at $85-$90 a barrel instead of $250. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Congress the recent increase in shipments was the result of “using the US military to increase flows of oil” in the waterway.
Shipping insurance costs have also “rocketed” as both sides have blockaded parts of the Gulf.
NATO Summit Tensions Over Hormuz Blockade Plan
The military escalation coincided with rising friction inside NATO. Trump announced plans for the US Navy to blockade all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, and said “other countries will be involved with this blockade”.
NATO allies pushed back. Britain and France said they would not join the blockade, instead working on an initiative to open the waterway. Germany, Spain and Italy also ruled out participation “for now,” emphasizing de-escalation.The disagreement has become a flashpoint ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.
Reports cited Trump threatening to cut trade ties with Spain over a lack of support in the Iran conflict, deepening strains in the alliance. Trump has also threatened to withdraw from NATO and is weighing pulling some US troops from Europe after several countries denied US military planes use of their airspace for attacks on Iran.
Allies argue they do not want to be drawn into the conflict, proposing to intervene only once fighting ends.
A Fragile Ceasefire Under Strain
The current clash follows a six-week war that began on February 28, after which Iran largely blocked the strait for all ships except its own. Tehran has sought to make its control permanent and collect levies from vessels.
Previous US actions included seizing an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run the blockade, and destroying six small Iranian military boats. Iran responded by setting an oil port in the UAE ablaze and warning that any military vessel approaching the strait would meet a “severe response”.
Peace talks have repeatedly failed. JD Vance announced on April 12 that negotiations collapsed, and Tehran later rejected a second round, citing the ongoing blockade. Trump has warned he would “attack them very hard” if no deal is secured, while also saying Washington is “still looking to make a deal with Iran”.
For The Gulf And Global Trade
The US maintains it will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting to non-Iranian ports, but the IRGC has warned it will fire on any vessel attempting to pass through Hormuz.
With the NATO summit underway and markets on edge, the coming days will test whether diplomacy can contain the conflict or if the Strait of Hormuz becomes a wider flashpoint. For now, the US is pressing ahead with defensive strikes and naval escorts, allies are holding back, and Iran is signaling it will not back down — leaving global oil supplies and alliance unity caught in the middle.
