Key keywords: U.S. airstrikes on Iran, Strait of Hormuz ship attack, Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), global maritime security, Middle East military escalation, commercial shipping threats, Gulf energy trade On Thursday, the U.S. military confirmed it carried out a series of precision airstrikes on multiple Iranian military facilities in the southern Hormozgan Province, in direct retaliation for an anti-ship missile attack on a Greek-flagged commercial bulk carrier in the Strait of Hormuz two days prior that killed two civilian crew members and injured seven others. According to an official statement from U.S. Central Command, the strikes targeted seven IRGC-operated sites, including coastal anti-ship missile launch pads, unmanned aerial vehicle storage facilities, and a regional command and control center that U.S. intelligence confirmed was used to coordinate the recent ship attack. CENTCOM added that all strike locations were carefully selected to minimize civilian casualties, and initial post-strike assessments show all intended targets were successfully destroyed, with no collateral damage reported to nearby residential areas. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow 21-mile wide waterway between Iran and Oman, is the world’s most critical maritime chokepoint, carrying roughly 20% of global crude oil exports and 30% of global liquefied natural gas trade. Over the past 18 months, Iranian forces and affiliated regional proxy groups have launched more than 40 attacks on commercial ships transiting the Strait and the Red Sea, disrupting global supply chains and raising shipping insurance costs by as much as 400% for high-risk routes. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House briefing that the strike was a lawful act of self-defense under international law, noting that the U.S. does not seek a broader conflict with Iran, but will not hesitate to take further proportional action if Iran continues to target civilian shipping or U.S. personnel stationed across the Middle East. Iranian foreign ministry officials immediately summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, who represents U.S. diplomatic interests in the country, to deliver a formal protest, calling the U.S. strike a “flagrant violation of Iranian sovereignty and international law” and vowing to deliver a “firm, proportional response” at a time and place of Iran’s choosing. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued an urgent appeal for both sides to exercise maximum restraint, warning that any further escalation could have catastrophic consequences for regional peace and global economic stability. Gulf Cooperation Council members including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have also called for an emergency meeting to address the crisis, as global energy markets already reacted to the news with a 4% jump in Brent crude prices in early trading on Friday.