Trump Vows Military Punishment for Iran Over Houthi Strikes
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- Trump vowed "major military punishment" against Iran and its Houthi allies in a Truth Social post, saying the Houthis were "starting up again, shooting at two Saudi Arabian ships last night"
- Houthis claimed missile and drone strikes on two Saudi-flagged oil tankers — the Encelia and the Layla — with Saudi state news agency SPA reporting the Encelia strike caused a fire at the bow
- Brent crude rose 4.3% to $98.16 US Thursday, the highest level since early June, as several tankers diverted away from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait toward the longer Suez Canal route
- U.S. forces struck a military target in Bushehr near Iran's only operating commercial nuclear power reactor, while Iran responded by attacking U.S. missile systems and fuel storage sites in Jordan and military posts in Kuwait
- Jordan's army said it intercepted four Iranian missiles and six drones in 24 hours, with all but one missile intercepted; Iran's military spokesperson Gen. Mohammad Akraminia pledged continued retaliation
- The war has killed 18 U.S. service members and injured more than 450 troops; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified the conflict has cost the U.S. over $37 billion so far
- Iran's joint military command warned it would target regional oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure and prevent the export of "even a single drop of oil"
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia diverted millions of barrels of oil per day south through Red Sea pipelines to bypass Iran's Persian Gulf blockade — making its tankers the Houthi strikes' deliberate target and putting the world's second-most-important energy waterway at risk. With Brent crude already at $98.16 and U.S. war costs past $37 billion, Iran is now threatening to halt oil exports entirely while the U.S. is striking targets near a commercial nuclear reactor, escalating the risk of a broader regional shutdown.
