US and Iran exchange attacks, killing three American service members and sparking diplomatic talks
Hostilities have spread from the Strait of Hormuz to the wider Gulf region, resulting in at least three U.S. deaths, attacks on Saudi and Indian vessels, and new US air deployments, while both sides signal openness to mediation.
The conflict that began in the Strait of Hormuz has escalated into a series of attacks and counter-attacks across the Persian Gulf. Since Friday, at least three U.S. service members have been killed and a fourth is missing, while Iranian forces have struck targets in Kuwait and Bahrain, both hosting U.S. troops.
U.S. Central Command reported a ninth consecutive day of strikes on Iranian military sites, and the United States has moved additional F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, as well as aerial refueling aircraft, to the region.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said mediators have presented Tehran with proposals to de-escalate, though details were not disclosed. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated the United States would welcome a diplomatic opening, but added that Iran’s behavior must change first.
In parallel, the Houthi movement announced it would block Saudi vessels from the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a step that could further tighten global fuel supplies already strained by the Hormuz chokehold. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree framed the move as a response to a “continued Saudi siege” of Yemen.
The war also affected civilian shipping. On June 10, a U.S. missile strike hit the engine room of the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman, killing three crew members, including an Indian trainee cadet. The U.S. justified the attack as enforcement of a blockade against vessels suspected of carrying Iranian oil, while Indian officials and seafarer unions have called for an independent investigation and compensation.
U.S. officials said the vessel ignored multiple warnings before the strike, though experts noted the ship appeared to be drifting at the time, raising questions about the legality of the use of force.
The latest round of fighting has also driven up U.S. gasoline prices, with the national average reaching $4 per gallon. The Pentagon’s casualty reporting system shows 427 U.S. service members injured in the conflict, and the death toll for American personnel has risen to 17 since the war began in late February.