US attacks Iranian island in Strait of Hormuz after Iran targets American aircraft; third aircraft carrier heads to the Middle East
According to Fox Business, a 'defensive' attack hit a missile site and naval base; Washington moves aircraft carriers, Patriot batteries and sees signs of a larger offensive.
BY THE X-TRADER NEWS NEWSROOM · REPORTING FROM FOX BUSINESS · 3 MIN
American forces last night struck an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, home to a missile site and naval base. According to Fox Business, a US official said that Iran had earlier fired at an American military aircraft and that the attack did not represent a return to a wider war, but a response to that episode.
Correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported that at least six Air Force C-17 Globemaster III planes, with air defense systems on board, departed Fort Bliss, Texas, headed for Israel. It is the second airlift of a Patriot missile battery in the last week. Officials classified yesterday's operation as a defensive attack, motivated by targeting a US aircraft.
Military reinforcement in the region
The USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group is in the South China Sea, en route to the Middle East. There are two aircraft carriers in the Arabian Sea, and the third still takes about a week to arrive. A Wall Street Journal reporter aboard the USS George Washington said there were signs the ships could launch much larger strikes against Iran: The ships were seen resupplying ammunition, including long-range missiles and bunker busting bombs designed to penetrate underground targets.
Presenter Harris recalled that, according to the broadcaster, the US has been in a ceasefire with Iran for around 94 or 95 days, and that the war has not become total. She also cited President Donald Trump's previous statement that he could attack an underground Iranian nuclear facility and resolve the issue in about an hour.
Mixed signals from Trump
According to the report, Trump sent mixed signals when he mentioned one of Iran's underground nuclear sites in the middle of the campaign for the midterm elections. 'We can do this in an hour, okay? As soon as we want', stated the president.
Trump also announced that he will end aid to Israel later this year. He said that Israelis do not need it and that the country receives more than anyone else. He mentioned the value of 4 billion dollars when talking about the subject.
Pompeo's Assessment
A guest on the program, former Secretary of State and former CIA director Mike Pompeo, now a contributor to Fox News, assessed that the Iranians will continue to fight and that the regime is ruthless. For him, the attack, although relatively small, reminded Tehran that the US has firepower. Pompeo said the deployment of a third aircraft carrier suggests the president is preparing for something bigger, but said he doesn't know how Trump will handle the situation.
For investors, the episode reinforces the geopolitical risk in a sensitive route for global trade, which tends to pressure volatility in stock markets, the dollar and interest rates. The transcript, however, does not contain market data: the concrete impact will depend on a possible military escalation and its effects on maritime flow in the region.
Automatically translated from Portuguese.
