The situation around Iran has sharply escalated again. What the media is writing
The United States destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, after which Iran launched missiles at an American base in Jordan. Most of the missiles were intercepted by the Jordanian air defense. Against this background, the Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia, and oil prices rose. What foreign media write about the escalation of the conflict between the United States and Iran is in the Izvestia digest.
CNN: US strike provoked retaliatory rocket fire in Jordan
The United States has attacked five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharq Island, sinking one of them. Iran responded with a missile strike on Jordan, saying the target was the Muwaffaq Salti airbase used by American forces. The Jordanian army reported 20 ballistic missiles: 18 were intercepted, two landed in uninhabited areas. According to the authorities, there are no fatalities. Analysts believe that the attack indicates the expansion of the geography of the conflict and a gradual escalation.
CNN
The exchange of blows takes place against the background of the fact that the United States has focused its strategy on increasing economic pressure on the Tehran regime. Washington makes it a priority to strike targets in the Strait of Hormuz or disable them, escorts commercial vessels through this crucial waterway and continues the naval blockade of Iranian ports.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Washington will respond to every attempt by Iran to attack US warships. At the same time, the Trump administration has increased economic pressure on Tehran by imposing new sanctions against 27 Iranian airlines and nine related entities. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that sanctions will not be able to force Tehran to abandon its goals.
Al Jazeera: Why the US-Iran war over the Strait of Hormuz threatens the waters of the Persian Gulf
The war between the United States and Iran is increasingly being waged at sea, with both sides attacking oil tankers and other vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Since the beginning of the war, at least 75 ships have been attacked, and at least 21 sailors have been killed. 42 tankers were waiting to pass through the strait, including 18 oil tankers. Their total capacity is about 1.76 million cubic meters of oil — about 11.1 million barrels, or 11% of the world's daily oil demand. Any serious impact on the tanker can lead to a fire, flooding or a large-scale oil spill.
Al Jazeera
A major attack on a tanker or its flooding could lead to millions of liters of oil entering the waters of the Persian Gulf, potentially polluting the coast, fish habitats and fragile marine ecosystems. Unlike an oil spill on land, oil in the sea can spread over a vast area — it is carried away by currents and wind far from the accident site.
The consequences may affect not only the marine environment, but also the water supply. The Gulf states are heavily dependent on seawater desalination, which provides water to almost 65 million people. If oil gets into the intake areas, it can worsen the water quality and disrupt the operation of desalination plants. At the same time, the Persian Gulf is a relatively closed and shallow body of water with limited water exchange with the Indian Ocean, so pollution can persist for a long time. Experts believe that early detection of spills, monitoring and prevention of contaminated water entering desalination systems are of key importance.
The Guardian: the conflict over Iran has escalated dramatically again
The United States says it has destroyed several Iranian oil tankers after Iran twice attempted to attack an American warship with ballistic missiles. According to the United States, tankers were hit in the Gulf of Oman and near the Iranian island of Kharq, and the crews were previously ordered to abandon ships. The American ship successfully dodged the missiles, there were no casualties among the American military personnel.
The Guardian
After a relatively calm August, Iran and the United States resumed the exchange of blows, which led to an increase in world oil prices to levels last seen in July. On Wednesday, oil prices rose to almost $100 per barrel in early trading in Asia.
Tensions have increased after several months of relative calm. The United States continues to blockade Iranian ports, and Iran continues to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies pass. South Korea and France are discussing measures to ensure the safety of navigation in the strait. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington will respond to Iran's attempts to attack American ships.
CNBC: The United States is imposing sanctions on Iranian airlines in an effort to increase economic pressure
The United States has imposed sanctions on 27 Iranian airlines and several other organizations in an effort to increase Iran's economic isolation. According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, companies and individuals who continue to cooperate with Iranian air carriers risk losing access to the global financial system. The United States is also effectively terminating licenses that allowed American companies to conduct aviation-related activities in Iran.
CNBC
The conflict is increasingly threatening to spread beyond the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen attacked several energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, forcing a temporary halt to some operations... The Trump administration's sanctions plan, presented on August 24, was touted as an "economic D-day" for Iran, but so far it has led to large-scale threats rather than concrete actions.
Iran is already facing high inflation and falling oil exports, but Washington has not yet been able to significantly limit cooperation with China, the main trading partner and buyer of Iranian oil. The new sanctions complement previously imposed restrictions, including against Mahan Air, which the United States accuses of supporting Iran's terrorist activities.
Reuters: Iran strikes back at US allies
The war in the Middle East has escalated dramatically: the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen attacked four cities in southern Saudi Arabia, injuring 73 people and setting oil facilities on fire. At the same time, the United States announced the destruction of five Iranian oil tankers. Washington called it a response to attempts by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to attack an American warship with ballistic missiles.
Reuters
The war is characterized by alternating pauses and periodic outbreaks of hostilities. Despite the American attacks, which have weakened much of Iran's conventional armed forces and severely damaged its already struggling economy, Iran remains capable of launching missile and drone strikes against neighboring countries and threatening oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States is trying to maintain oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz while limiting Iranian exports. Iran continues to support the so-called "Axis of Resistance", which includes the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas and Iraqi Shiite armed groups.
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