Global Markets
Home›Global Markets›Trade & Tariffs›US carries out fresh strikes on Iran, expanding region…
US carries out fresh strikes on Iran, expanding regional conflict
The new strikes followed incidents that included a drone hit on a US-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Damietta port and missile fire at US troops in Jordan.
The United States carried out fresh strikes on Iran on Wednesday, the US military said, intensifying a conflict that has been expanding beyond its main fronts across the Middle East. US Central Command said US forces began launching strikes at 8pm ET, positioning the action as a response to attempted Iranian attacks reported the day before. Earlier in the day, a drone hit a US-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey in an initial assessment. An Egypt petroleum ministry statement confirmed a fire at the port but did not mention a drone attack, and it was not immediately clear who was responsible. The regional moves also included strikes by US and Saudi forces against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq, and Iran firing missiles at US troops in Jordan. Separately, the Egypt port incident and the Iraq strikes could raise the risk of further regional involvement after Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen last week declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.