Jordan's military intercepted five Iranian missiles aimed at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. Simultaneously, US and Saudi aircraft targeted Iran-backed militias in Iraq, while drone attacks struck gas vessels in Egypt.
The 20 PMF fighters and Iranian advisers killed in Iraq
American and Saudi fighter jets launched coordinated strikes against logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq, targeting militias backed by Tehran. According to the source,the Popular Mobilization Forces—a Shiite coalition under Iraqi command—reported that at least 20 of its fighters were killed and 32 wounded in the raids. The strikes also resulted in the deaths of Iranian advisers, though figures vary between the PMF's report of six deaths and Iranian state media's confirmation of four.
The US military characterized these operations as a powerful response to attempted Iranian aggression.. The retaliatory strikes followed a series of drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, signaling a shift toward more aggressive direct engagement between coalition forces and Iran-backed proxies in the region.
Oil's 7.3 percent spike and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
The sudden escalation has triggered immediate volatility in global energy markets, with oil prices surging 7.3 percent to exceed 88 dollars per barrel. as the report says, the Strait of Hormuz is now effectively closed due to Iranian attacks, creating a critical bottleneck for global energy supplies and heightening fears of a prolonged economic shock.
This economic instability is compounded by the volatility of the region's security architecture.. With the primary maritime artery for oil under threat, the conflict has moved beyond a localized skirmish into a global economic concern, leaving diplomats with few levers to pull as both the US and Iran maintain a hardline military posture.
The drone strikes on US and Greek vessels at Damietta port
The conflict expanded into Egyptian waters when drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the port of Damietta. The targets included a Greek-owned tanker and a floating storage facility owned by the United States. While the British maritime security firm Ambrey reported no injuries, the strikes represent a precarious expansion of the war's geography.
Egypt has historically served as a close US ally and a key regional mediator, having remained largely untouched by direct military action until these incidents. The targeting of infrastructure in Damietta suggests that the traditional "safe zones" for diplomacy are eroding as the conflict widens.
From the 2014 anti-ISIS coalition to targeting US forces
The current hostilities involve the Popular Mobilization Forces, a group that originally joined the fight against the Islamic State in 2014. Over the last decade, however, this coalition has pivoted from combating extremists to actively targeting US military personnel and assets across Iraq and Syria.
This shift is part of a broader five-month conflict that has seen intermittent periods of calm interrupted by sudden spikes in violence. The current flare-up underscores the difficulty of achieving a sustainable ceasefire when proxy groups operate with varying degrees of autonomy and Iranian support.
Who is responsible for the Damietta port attacks?
A critical gap in the current intelligence is the lack of a confirmed perpetrator for the strikes in Egypt.. While the Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the missile barrage in Jordan, no group has yet claimed the attacks on the US and Greek vessels in Damietta. If these strikes are linked to Iran or its allies, it would confirm a strategic decision to target neutral mediators.
Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have already targeted Saudi energy facilities, are coordinating their efforts with the Iraqi militias. an Arab official described the current climate as "very bad," suggesting that neither the US nor Iran currently shows an inclination to stop the cycle of retaliation.
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