Iran-US war intensifies

TEHRAN: The US launched on Tuesday a fresh wave of strikes on Iran and President Donald Trump vowed to reimpose a naval blockade, prompting Tehran to respond with attacks on countries in the region.
Trump said a deal with the Islamic republic was still possible even as fighting surged to a scale unseen since an April ceasefire, with Iran striking two ships in the strategic waterway and killing one crew member, according to the United Arab Emirates.
UK maritime security agency UKMTO on Tuesday reported yet another tanker struck by a missile while transiting Hormuz near Oman's coast.
The US military earlier said its five-hour mission hit targets across Iran including coastal Bushehr and Bandar Abbas to 'degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping'.
Renewed US attacks since last week have killed at least 28 people in Iran, according to an AFP tally based on Iranian media and official announcements.
After the strikes, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced they had in turn fired missiles and drones on Bahrain, targeting a residential building for US forces and other facilities.
Bahrain subsequently said it had intercepted 'several treacherous aerial attacks launched by Iran' and accused Tehran of targeting civilians, after explosions and sirens were heard in Manama.
Trump's declaration on the Hormuz blockade and the scale of the renewed fighting have called into question efforts to bring a permanent end to the war.
Iran started blocking the strait after US-Israel attacks in February, which prompted Washington's blockade on Tehran's ports — but restrictions eased after the sides agreed a preliminary deal in June.
Trump said on Monday that the United States was 'taking over' the strait and would slap a levy of 20 per cent on all cargo shipped through it, in an announcement that drew mockery from Iran and accusations of 'piracy'.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iran's ports on the waterway would be blockaded on Tuesday.
Oil prices shot up more than nine per cent on Monday over fears of renewed conflict and rose again on Tuesday, piling on more than one per cent.
Tehran launched attacks on other US allies in the region, including Jordan, which said it had shot down four missiles from Iran.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their strikes targeted US forces at an air base and urged Jordanians to issue a 'serious demand for the removal of the occupying American bases from the region'.
Iran insists it only targets US interests in the Gulf, but its military command spokesman said any collaboration by Gulf countries with the United States would be considered 'an act of war.'