The United States has launched a wave of new strikes against Iran after Tehran began targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump issuing a stark warning for the country to 'behave'. The escalation comes as talks stall over disagreements concerning the vital waterway, where multiple cargo ships have been attacked by Iran this week. In response, Trump reimposed a blockade on the Strait.
Iran strikes US allies as tensions escalate
Iran has also continued carrying out missile and drone strikes against US allies in the Middle East, including Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. Trump warned that more US strikes would cripple Iran, targeting bridges and power plants unless the country backs down. 'I don't like giving deadlines, but they pretty much know, they know the story… they better behave,' he said. He added: 'You'd better make a deal, or you're not going to have anything left.'
Vance defends Trump's military strategy
Trump told attendees at a defence summit that Iran wants to 'settle so badly' as well. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance, who has previously spoken out against US involvement in foreign conflicts, defended Trump. He said: 'What the president has done very, very capably is say we're going to use military force in this situation when it's connected to something we're trying to achieve, so if you shoot at ships, we're going to shoot at the facilities which you use to shoot at the ships. But we're not just going to do something open-ended, indefinitely. We're not just going to bomb and bomb and bomb. We're going to try to use our military force as one of the many tools that we have to solve the problem.'
Kamikaze drones used in combat for first time
Part of the military force being used is kamikaze drones, which have targeted Iranian naval facilities at Bandar Abbas Naval Base. The series of attacks over the weekend marked the first time the US military used uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) as strike weapons in combat. The operation marks the latest development in the US Navy's increasing use of uncrewed vessels in operational roles. Last month, a Saronic Corsair USV was used to help rescue the crew of a US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter that crashed in the Gulf of Oman after the aircraft was reportedly brought down during hostilities with Iran. Military officials described it as the first known use of a drone boat to recover personnel during a search-and-rescue mission.
