The United States launched a new military offensive against Iran in the early hours of this Wednesday, increasing pressure on Tehran after current US president Donald Trump indicated that the bombings could intensify in the coming days if there is no progress in diplomatic negotiations. The escalation heightens concerns in global markets and reinforces fears about the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East.
The United States Central Command (Centcom) reported that the operation began at around 6h (US East Coast time). According to the military, the attacks were aimed at reducing the capacity of Iranian forces to carry out actions against commercial vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important maritime routes for the global oil trade.
Later, Centcom stated that the mission was completed about an hour and a half later. According to the statement, precision munitions struck coastal defense systems, as well as facilities used for the storage and launch of cruise missiles on Greater Tunb island, located in the Persian Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz.
The new operation comes after other bombings carried out by the United States in recent days. In response, Iran intensified attacks against several countries in the Gulf region, increasing the risk of an even greater deterioration in regional security.
On Tuesday night, Trump indicated that he intends to maintain the offensive if there are no changes in the Iranian stance. “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight,” he said. “We’re going to hit them hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the day after tomorrow.”
The US president also said that the next phase could target infrastructure considered strategic. “Next week the situation gets really bad for them, because next week it will be the power plants,” he said. “Next week it will be the bridges. We will destroy all their power plants. We will destroy all their bridges, unless they come to the negotiating table.”
In recent days, Trump even defended the creation of a 20% fee on cargo transported through the Strait of Hormuz, but later backed away from the proposal. According to him, investments by Gulf countries in the United States could offset part of the costs related to the conflict.
The intensification of the attacks comes just weeks after the United States carried out bombings against dozens of Iranian targets in response to actions against commercial ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Later, Trump declared that the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran had "ended".
The instability also reverberated in the international energy market. Brent crude futures remained above US$ 85 per barrel, while traders monitor possible impacts on the flow of oil through the region.
For Jakob Larsen, BIMCO’s head of security, the succession of announcements and shifts in positioning increases the difficulty of assessing the risks. “All these messages going back and forth, changing direction completely, only increase the confusion and complexity of the whole situation,” he said. “If you step back and look at this from a broader perspective, the overall picture we are seeing is one of greater uncertainty, greater risks and, with that, higher prices.”
Experts in international relations also assess that the conflict could last for a long period. Professor Mike Rosenberg said that the prospects for an agreement remain limited and that neither side appears willing to give up its objectives in the short term.
Andreas Böhm, meanwhile, believes that the absence of a clear strategy increases the possibility of a prolonged war. According to him, the most likely solution will depend on new diplomatic negotiations, although he acknowledges that this path has become significantly more difficult after the resumption of military clashes.
