US launches new strikes on Iran

The U.S. conducted a new round of strikes against Iran on Wednesday morning, the Pentagon announced, marking the fifth day of consecutive attacks following the collapse of peace negotiations.

U.S. Central Command said in a social media post that the strikes, aimed at coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island in the Strait of Hormuz, "degraded Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping" in the strait.

The strikes come a day after President Donald Trump backtracked on his claim that the U.S. would take control of the shipping passage and begin charging a 20 percent fee on all maritime traffic, instead claiming that Gulf states would be making trade and investment deals with the U.S. The president added in his Tuesday Truth Social post that ships coming to and from Iranian ports would be barred from passing, though other vessels would be permitted.

The newest wave of strikes punctuate the uncertain future of the vital shipping artery, which has largely remained jammed since the beginning of the conflict save for some attempts at evacuating ships from the waterway. The U.S. has blamed Iranian attacks on commercial vessels passing through the strait, which led to retaliatory strikes by the U.S. on Iran, for the collapse of the ceasefire.

Oil prices have steadily risen as the two countries continue to exchange attacks, after a temporary decline following the announcement of the now-defunct ceasefire.

Efforts to revive peace talks between Iran and the U.S. by outside mediators appear to have stalled after Trump declared the temporary memorandum of understanding "over" while in Ankara, Turkey, for a NATO summit last week. That lack of progress has contributed to a feeling in the Middle East that a swift end to the current war is nowhere in sight.

Trump formally notified members of Congress over the weekend that the nation had reentered the war, giving the administration 60 days to use the military without congressional approval.