The latest exchange of strikes between the US and Iran has left a passenger terminal at Kuwait's main airport heavily damaged and one person dead – a reminder that this conflict, now in its 100th day, is not just a distant war but one with direct consequences for global energy markets and regional stability.
At its core, the US-Iran conflict is a military confrontation that began on 28 February when the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran. Iran responded by attacking US-allied Gulf states and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which around 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas travels. A shaky ceasefire has been in place since April, but both sides have continued to trade strikes. The US military says it has shot down Iranian drones and missiles targeting the Strait and Gulf bases, while Iran has fired ballistic missiles at US air bases in Kuwait and Navy facilities in Bahrain. Iran's foreign ministry called the US strikes a "flagrant" violation of the ceasefire.
“Explains the US-Iran conflict, why the Strait of Hormuz matters, and its impact on the UK.”
The roots of the conflict lie in a long-running dispute over Iran's nuclear programme and regional influence. According to US media, President Donald Trump requested changes to the terms of a ceasefire agreement, while Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said the US was "constantly changing its views and putting forward new or contradictory demands". The war has already killed an estimated 7,000 people in the region, displaced more than a million, and caused major disruption to the global economy – without delivering on any of Trump's stated objectives, according to analysis.
For UK readers, the most immediate impact is on energy prices. The Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint for oil and LNG shipments from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, and Iran. Any sustained closure or disruption pushes up global oil prices, which feeds directly into higher petrol and heating costs in Britain. The conflict also risks drawing in UK allies: Bahrain and Kuwait, which host US bases, are both condemned Iranian attacks, showing how the war could escalate further. The UK government has also been drawn in by the case of a British couple, Craig and Lindsay Foreman, who were sentenced to 10 years in Iran on espionage charges that the Foreign Office says are baseless.
Q: Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important? The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow channel between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes. Any disruption there can send global energy prices soaring and affect fuel supplies worldwide.
Q: What is the current ceasefire between the US and Iran? A shaky ceasefire has been in place since April, but both sides have repeatedly violated it with drone and missile strikes. Negotiations for a permanent deal have stalled, with disagreements over the terms of ending the war and the central nuclear issue.
Q: How many people have been killed or displaced in this conflict? Estimates say around 7,000 people have been killed in the region and more than a million displaced from their homes. The figures are based on the 100 days of conflict that began on 28 February.
What happens next is uncertain. Ceasefire negotiations are not advancing, and both sides continue to trade attacks. The US has granted visas to Iran's World Cup football team for a match in Los Angeles in June, a rare diplomatic gesture amid war. But with Trump claiming Iran's military is “virtually decapitated” and Iran describing US actions as “illegal”, a breakthrough seems distant.