The United States conducted a series of airstrikes on southern Iranian soil Thursday, targeting the Shahid Rahbari Naval Base in Sirik and an air defense facility in the port city of Bandar Lengeh. The raids took place shortly after Iran launched a salvo of more than 10 cruise and surface-to-air missiles from Bandar Abbas toward the shipping corridors of the Strait of Hormuz. While the state-run IRNA news agency initially described the explosions as an attack by an unidentified ‘enemy,’ monitoring sources later cited the agency as confirming that the targets were struck by American forces.
The escalation follows a campaign of naval hostilities near the Strait of Hormuz that has seen 132 reported ship attacks since March, including a monthly peak of 37 in October. Recent incidents include a merchant vessel hit by a projectile 14 nautical miles off the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah and reports from the IRGC that two tankers exploded after striking naval mines. Amid the military exchange, NYMEX WTI Crude December futures rose 2.55% to settle at $88.74 a barrel.
