The United States-Iran conflict continued to escalate on Thursday, with fresh military action, expanding U.S. sanctions and growing disruption to commercial shipping across the region.
Iran said U.S. strikes killed three of its soldiers, while Jordan reported intercepting Iranian missiles for a second consecutive day. Kuwait said one person was killed in a strike on its territory.
Drone attacks also ignited fires aboard two natural gas vessels at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta, marking what appears to be the first time Egypt has been directly targeted during the conflict.
The source of the strike has not been confirmed, although Iran-backed Houthi forces have previously attacked vessels in the nearby Red Sea.
The U.S. military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has redirected 24 commercial vessels since reimposing a blockade on Iranian ports earlier this month, up from 20 vessels reported the previous day.
Since President Donald Trump reinstated the blockade, U.S. forces have boarded two vessels accused of violating the restrictions and fired upon two others to disable them, according to CENTCOM.
While Washington continues to maintain that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial traffic, shipping volumes through the strategic waterway remain severely reduced as Iran continues to threaten vessels operating in the area.
The U.S. Treasury also announced new sanctions against Mahan Air, Iran's largest airline, as part of its latest measures aimed at increasing economic pressure on Tehran.
"Although Mahan Air presents itself as a civilian carrier, it has long played a central role in enabling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), providing travel services for IRGC-Qods Force personnel, facilitating military training, and supporting Iran's procurement and transport of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems and weapons," the Treasury said in a statement Thursday.
The sanctions also target several companies, primarily based in China, that conduct business with Mahan Air, including Shanghai Wings, which the U.S. said has "coordinated the transport of electronics from China to Iran." The company's managing director, Tang Xin, was also sanctioned.
The latest measures mark at least the 12th round of U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran since the war began on 28 February.
The previous round targeted the Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and Hormuz Safe Marine Services Authority, organisations involved in coordinating maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
