U.S. Central Command confirmed a wave of strikes against Iranian air defense and radar sites, citing retaliation for attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In a significant policy shift, Axios reported the U.S. destroyed two Iranian tankers, marking a new phase of direct engagement. Iran’s IRGC responded by launching ballistic missiles toward the Gulf of Aqaba, with Jordanian forces intercepting 13 projectiles. Further alerts triggered air defenses in Kuwait and Bahrain as Iran claimed to have struck U.S. facilities in the region.

President Trump dismissed reports that the military pressure was intended to force a diplomatic deal, publicly questioning the regime's stability. Beyond the geopolitical friction, supply concerns are intensifying as the American Petroleum Institute reported a 2.6 million barrel draw in U.S. inventories, compounded by an additional 3.1 million barrel release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Traders are now bracing for official EIA data, as the conflict threatens the stability of crude flows through one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints.