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U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he will “avenge” the deaths of three U.S. service members, in a pre-recorded Truth Social post Sunday afternoon. He added that combat operations in Iran that began Saturday will continue. Earlier Sunday, U.S. Central Command said three U.S. service members were killed — the first of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Iran may “lash out harder” after the joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said David Silbey, a professor of military history at Cornell University. Retaliatory attacks could include missile strikes on Israeli and U.S. military bases and vessels in the Persian Gulf, as well as potential terrorist operations across the Middle East, Europe and the United States.
A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route for global crude with about 13 million barrels per day moving through it in 2025, could lead to a 1970s-style energy shock. If Iran closes the Strait, it could “drive oil prices into the triple digits, while LNG prices retest the record highs of 2022,” said Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Marquee.
