US Strikes Greater Tunb Island as Iran Threatens to Halt All Mideast Oil Exports

What Happened The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and struck Greater Tunb Island, a small but strategically critical outpost controlling access to the Strait of Hormuz. The overnight campaign hit dozens of targets across seven hours, including an Iranian army barracks, killing at least seven troops and wounding more than 260 people, according to Iranian officials. Unusually, the U.S. Central Command kept striking into daylight hours, a signal that this round of escalation isn't a one-off.

The strikes come after days of tit-for-tat attacks between Washington and Tehran that have effectively shredded the interim ceasefire deal reached last month. That agreement had paused fighting for a 60-day negotiating window over Iran's nuclear program. Those talks stalled as Iran ramped up attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's most vital oil chokepoints.

Why the Strait of Hormuz Keeps Coming Back Into Play Iran effectively closed the Strait to shipping traffic when the war with Israel and the U.S. began back on February 28, instantly sending global energy prices spiking. That leverage move worked: it rattled markets far beyond the Middle East and gave Tehran real bargaining power heading into ceasefire talks. Greater Tunb Island sits right at the mouth of the Strait, making it a natural target for the U.S. as it tries to reopen the waterway by force rather than negotiation.

In response to the renewed blockade and strikes, Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened Wednesday to halt all energy exports from the entire region — not just its own. Their exact words: oil and gas exports will be "either for everyone or for no one." That's a threat aimed squarely at global markets, not just Washington.

The Bigger Picture This isn't just a regional flare-up. Rising oil prices tied to the Strait closure have already become a political liability for President Trump and Republicans ahead of November's congressional elections. A full Iranian export shutdown across the Gulf would hit gas prices, inflation, and markets worldwide almost overnight.

The interim deal that briefly cooled things down is now in tatters. With both sides trading strikes and Tehran escalating its threats to global energy flows, the region is edging back toward the kind of all-out war the original ceasefire was supposed to prevent.

What to Watch Next Keep an eye on oil futures and gas prices at home — they'll likely react before diplomats do. Watch whether Iran follows through on its export threat, and whether the U.S. continues daytime strikes, which would suggest this is shifting from retaliation to sustained campaign. The 60-day negotiating clock from the original deal is essentially dead; what replaces it will shape the next phase of this conflict.