Iran's navy says US forces struck Konark base

Washington has not confirmed the claim, and crude oil traders are watching for signs of a direct Iranian response.

Iran's navy says United States forces struck its Konark base. The claim has not been confirmed by Washington.

The alleged strike comes after weeks of rising pressure. An IRGC spokesman has warned that even a limited US strike on Iran would spark a global energy crisis. Trump has said the United States would act alone against Iran and backed Netanyahu, and said Iran has been "systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially," warning he would finish the job if it does not change course.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted for weeks by tanker attacks, mines and a reported sinking. Iran's army chief has said the strait stays shut until Iran's conditions are met. Iran's foreign minister Araghchi has said it could reopen within six days if the US meets those conditions, with talks resuming on the seventh day, and has said Iran and Russia discussed possible US talks and the strait while tanker traffic remains depressed.

If Iran's account of the strike holds up, it would mark a jump from weeks of threats, mediated proposals and slipped deadlines into direct engagement between US and Iranian forces, a shift from a standoff that had until now kept crude oil's risk premium embedded rather than tested. With tanker strikes, mines and a reported sinking already curbing transit through the strait, a confirmed strike on Iranian naval infrastructure would raise the odds of a direct Iranian response that could further disrupt Gulf shipping and push crude oil higher.