Trump Says Iran Strikes to Be Short, Asserts Hormuz Control

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said renewed attacks on Iran would likely be short-lived, reiterating his claim that the US controls the crucial Strait of Hormuz after fresh fighting spiked energy prices and rekindled fears of an open-ended war.

Asked on Wednesday how long the bombing campaign could last, Trump told reporters, "I don't think too long." Brent crude eased slightly on his comments to just over $95.

The US military carried out a second round of strikes in three days overnight, targeting radar systems and mine-laying capabilities along Iran's southern coast. Iran retaliated with drone and missile volleys on US bases across the Middle East, in line with a pattern used throughout the six-month war.

"We took out all of the new equipment that they tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz — some defensive, some offensive," Trump said. "It was a very heavy attack last night, and we're prepared to do another one any time we want."

Tehran accused the US of hitting a wedding ceremony in the southern coastal city of Sirik, with the Iranian Red Crescent Society saying at least four people died and about 67 were injured. The organization, which had previously put the number of fatalities at five, said the total may rise.

"The US military never targets civilians," said US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East.

Iranian officials likened the incident to a strike on an elementary school in the city of Minab during the early days of the conflict. That attack killed an estimated 120 children and is under investigation by the US military.

"This cruelty cannot be separated from the chain of atrocities that preceded it in Minab," Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei posted on X. "Iran will respond to these savage crimes with firmness."

The resumption of hostilities brought an abrupt end to a month of subdued military activity, during which oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz recovered to roughly half of pre-war levels. The improvement in flows risks being curtailed, affecting supplies of oil, gas and other commodities and boosting energy prices and inflation.