Key facts
- Projectiles hit Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz
- Part of escalating Washington-Tehran military exchanges
- Qeshm is strategically located at a critical global oil chokepoint
- Oman summoned Iran's ambassador over 'irresponsible acts'
Projectiles struck Iran's Qeshm Island on Saturday night as the military confrontation between Washington and Tehran entered a dangerous new phase. The attack on the strategically vital island — situated at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz — came amid a rapid escalation of direct blows being traded between the two powers.
Qeshm Island's location makes it among the most sensitive real estate in the Middle East. It sits astride one of the world's most critical oil shipping chokepoints, through which a significant share of global crude oil passes daily. A sustained conflict in this zone could disrupt tanker traffic and send energy prices surging worldwide.
The strike followed heightened rhetoric from both sides. US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened missile strikes against Iran if Tehran targeted American leadership, while Iran had made claims about the status of the Strait of Hormuz that Washington and maritime groups subsequently disputed. Oman, which borders the Gulf of Oman and has historically played a mediating role between the US and Iran, separately summoned the Iranian ambassador over what it called 'irresponsible acts.'
The sequence of events — projectiles on Qeshm, attacks in Kuwait, disputed Hormuz claims, and threats from Washington — points to a conflict that is rapidly expanding in geographic scope. Analysts warn that without rapid de-escalation, the risk of a broader regional war, with severe consequences for oil markets and Asian economies including India, is growing by the hour.