US and Iran trade strikes

The United States and Iran have exchanged direct military strikes for the first time in over a month, dramatically escalating the conflict between the two nations.

US forces targeted Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran to retaliate with coordinated missile attacks on American military assets in Jordan and the UAE. Iranian officials have vowed that any further American aggression would be met with a response "dozens of times stronger," while claiming that over 90 percent of Iran's missile reserves remain intact.

The escalation has sent global oil prices surging and raised concerns in Washington about the potential for another prolonged Middle Eastern conflict.