Washington, United States. Iran launched a wave of missiles at Israel early Thursday, sending millions into bomb shelters as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran entered its sixth day. The strikes came hours after efforts to halt the U.S. air assault were blocked in the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Senate vote leaves Trump’s authority largely intact
Republican senators voted against a motion aimed at stopping the air campaign and requiring military action to be authorized by Congress, leaving President Donald Trump’s power to direct the war largely unbound.
The Senate voted 53 to 47 not to advance the resolution, largely along party lines, with all but one Republican voting against the procedural motion and all but one Democrat supporting it.
Conflict expands across regions
The U.S.–Iran war widened sharply, with a U.S. submarine sinking an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka on Wednesday, killing at least 80 people, and NATO air defences destroying an Iranian ballistic missile fired towards Turkey.
The missile incident marked the first time Turkey, which borders Iran and has NATO’s second-largest military, has been drawn into the conflict. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there was no sense it would trigger the alliance’s collective-defence clause.
Succession dynamics in Tehran
The escalation came as the powerful son of Iran’s slain supreme leader emerged as a frontrunner to succeed him, suggesting Tehran was not about to buckle to pressure from the United States and Israel’s military campaign that has killed hundreds and convulsed global markets.
Strait of Hormuz disruption and U.S. escort plans
The war continued to paralyse shipping through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, choking off vital Middle East oil and gas flows. Trump pledged to provide insurance and naval escorts for ships to contain soaring costs, with oil prices rising on Thursday. At least 200 vessels remained anchored off the coast, according to Reuters estimates.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Fox News on Wednesday that the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as it can” but is focused on the conflict for now.
“No, not yet … We’ll do that as soon as we can. Right now, our Navy, and of course, our military, is focused on other things, which is disarming this Iranian regime,” Wright said when asked if any commercial vessels had requested U.S. Navy assistance in the Gulf.
Markets react amid report of outreach
Asian shares rallied on Thursday after days of sharp losses, while U.S. stocks closed up on Wednesday on hopes the war might end soon. Some traders cited improved sentiment following a New York Times report that Iranian intelligence had reached out to the CIA early in the war about a path towards ending it.
What impact do you think the Strait of Hormuz disruption could have on global energy prices?
