Amid increasing tension on the Strait of Hormuz, America has carried out air strikes on Iran for the 10th consecutive night. The US Army says that the purpose of these attacks is to weaken Iran’s military forces, through which it is attacking commercial ships passing through Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that on July 20, at 9 pm (US time), another air operation was completed. During this, Iran’s military command center, naval bases, missile and drone launch sites and air defense systems were targeted.
America says that these attacks will reduce Iran’s ability to attack and will increase the security of ships passing through Hormuz. According to CENTCOM, since the beginning of May, the US military has helped in the safe movement of approximately 900 merchant ships and 450 million barrels of crude oil. The US military said that its troops are fully prepared and if Iran continues to attack civilian ships, it will respond.
Iran targeted oil tanker
Even after carrying out air strikes for 10 consecutive nights, Iran has not reduced its pressure on Hormuz. Early Tuesday morning, Iran attacked an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. After the attack, the crew members of the ship had to abandon the ship to save their lives. The tension between America and Iran seems to be moving towards a major war again. Meanwhile, Iran’s Home Minister has reached Pakistan for talks. Pakistan is playing the role of mediator in this dispute. However, it is not yet clear whether any new agreement will be reached or not.
The interim agreement signed between the two countries last month is now almost over. After this the fighting has intensified again. Both sides are now also targeting such places which are used by lakhs of common people. This has increased the difficulties of common citizens.
Rise in crude oil prices
This tension has also affected the oil market. The price of Brent crude has reached above $88 per barrel. At the same time, the average price of petrol in America has become 4 dollars per gallon. Due to this, there is a danger of inflation increasing and the pressure on the Trump administration has also increased before the midterm elections to be held in America this year.
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