The United States launched airstrikes on Iranian military positions early this morning, retaliating for a drone attack on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that killed two American sailors. A US defence official confirmed the strikes hit Revolutionary Guard command centres and weapons depots near Bandar Abbas. As smoke rises over the Strait of Hormuz, the White House insists the action was 'proportional and defensive'.
Eyewitnesses reported at least 12 explosions in the port city, with Iranian state media claiming 'dozens of martyrs' but providing no independent verification. The strike, authorised by President after a tense National Security Council meeting, marks the first direct US offensive against Iran since 2020. Meanwhile, at the United Nations in New York, Britain's ambassador called for 'maximum restraint' from all sides during an emergency Security Council session, warning the region was 'a powder keg'.
UK sources confirm they are pushing for a joint statement demanding de-escalation, but Russia and China are expected to block any language condemning Iran. The British position is delicate: London has a naval presence in the Gulf and has repeatedly urged measured responses. But this strike changes the calculus.
A senior UK diplomatic source told me: 'The Americans are done talking. They have a political need to show strength. Our job is to make sure this doesn't spiral into a full-blown war.
' On the ground, the damage is still being assessed. Satellite images obtained by this newsroom show plumes of smoke rising from what analysts identify as a missile storage facility. No independent reporters are inside Iran, so casualty figures remain unconfirmed.
What is clear is that this escalates a shadow war into open conflict. The Revolutionary Guard has vowed 'harsh revenge'. If they follow through, the world's most vital oil chokepoint will become a shooting gallery.
And the UK, caught between its US ally and European partners pushing for diplomacy, has walked into a geopolitical minefield. For now, the UN chamber is a theatre of competing blocs while the bombs fall. We are tracking every move.
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