Iran vows continued strikes as Middle East conflict widens

Iran has vowed to continue retaliatory strikes for as long as the United States attacks its territory, as the conflict in the Middle East expanded with Tehran’s Houthi allies launching attacks on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea.

 

Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said the country’s armed forces would sustain military operations until US attacks on Iranian infrastructure and coastal areas cease.

 

“The armed forces’ retaliatory attacks will continue as long as the US attacks on the country’s infrastructure and coastal areas continue,” he said, according to Iranian state television.

 

The latest escalation follows renewed US airstrikes on Iranian military targets. The US Central Command said it had carried out its 12th consecutive night of strikes, aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the region.

 

US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would target Iranian civilian infrastructure if Tehran continued attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

 

“Any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz… the United States will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant,” Trump wrote on social media.

 

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would retaliate against any attack on its infrastructure, declaring, “Our defence doctrine is clear: eye for an eye.”

 

The conflict also spread to the Red Sea, where Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on two Saudi oil tankers after announcing a blockade of Saudi ports.

 

Saudi Arabia confirmed that one of the vessels, Encelia, had been hit, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker southwest of Al Shuqaiq caught fire after being struck by an unidentified projectile.

 

Meanwhile, Jordan and Kuwait reported intercepting projectiles, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they had stopped three oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

 

The renewed hostilities pushed global oil prices higher, with Brent crude rising about four per cent to $97.80 per barrel, raising concerns over the global economy and energy supply.

 

Amid the growing tensions, Oman said it was working to revive talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in an effort to prevent further escalation in the Red Sea.