US strikes Iranian island in first attacks since July
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated following US strikes on Iranian-linked targets in the Strait of Hormuz and subsequent Iranian retaliatory missile attacks on US bases in Jordan. The situation is further complicated by misinformation, including an AI-generated video shared by Donald Trump regarding an attack on Kharg Island.
Why it matters
This represents a significant flare-up in regional conflict with potential global implications for energy markets and international security.
Iran has attacked US military targets in the Middle East in retaliation for the first American strikes on its territory in a month, in a fresh flare-up of the war that has engulfed the region.
Tehran's Revolutionary Guards said they had retaliated to the attack by striking two US military air bases with ballistic missiles in Jordan, causing "heavy damage".
Jordan's army said it had intercepted eight missiles, without stating their origin.
The Guards also said they had shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks came after the United States said it had attacked Iranian rocket launchers on a small island in the strategic shipping lane.
The US said its attacks were aimed at preventing Iran from launching more sea mines into the strait, days after it announced it had completed clearing explosives from the waterway.
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