The United States on Wednesday launched airstrikes on Iran's Greater Tunb Island in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting military facilities that Washington said were being used to threaten commercial shipping in one of the world's most critical energy corridors.
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said the 90-minute operation targeted Iranian defence positions and missile sites on the island, which has been under Iranian control since 1971 after being seized from what later became the United Arab Emirates.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes were intended to further reduce Iran's ability to launch attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
"The strikes further degraded Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," the command said in a statement.
The latest operation comes as the United States has reinstated a naval blockade on Iran and expanded its military campaign in response to Tehran's attacks on vessels operating in the strategic waterway.
The renewed confrontation has effectively derailed a temporary agreement reached last month that had paused hostilities for 60 days to allow negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme and other disputes.
Tensions have intensified in recent days as both countries exchanged military strikes across the region, raising fears that the conflict could escalate into a broader regional war.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned earlier Wednesday that it could halt all oil and gas exports from the Middle East in response to the renewed US blockade.
"The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one," the IRGC said.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the confrontation. The narrow waterway handles roughly one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil and natural gas trade, making any disruption a major concern for global energy markets.
Washington first imposed the naval blockade on Iran in April before lifting it last month following the interim agreement. However, negotiations later stalled amid renewed clashes over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the United States to restore the blockade and intensify its military operations against Iranian targets.