The United States struck Iran Monday for a second day running, drawing Tehran's reprisals against US allies in the Gulf as the foes battle over the status of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.The fresh fighting and Iran's announcement over the weekend of a new closure of Hormuz -- a key conduit in the world's oil trade -- sent crude prices climbing on Monday and further battered an interim peace deal.
Iran responded to the latest US attacks by targeting Gulf nations, with the powerful Revolutionary Guards announcing new strikes on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, according to state media reports.
The US Central Command (CENTCOMM) said its forces had completed their latest barrage, which began overnight Sunday, on dozens of Iranian targets.
US aircraft, naval vessels and drones had "completed a new wave of offensive strikes against Iran... hitting dozens of targets at multiple locations with precision munitions to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz."
The past week's hostilities have centered over competing claims over the critical energy trade route, which Iran's Guards say is now "closed" while the United States maintains the strait is open to maritime traffic and is not controlled by Iran.
