US demands $70bn war funding as Iran and Houthis escalate Middle East strikes
Tensions in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz intensify as Washington responds to Iranian military claims with threats against civilian infrastructure and requests for additional war funding.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has requested an additional $70 billion in funding for the war effort in Iran, as the Senate demands greater clarity on military strategy. The request comes as President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, in retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation follows a dignified transfer of remains ceremony in Delaware, where Trump honoured four US service members killed in the conflict: three in an Iranian missile attack on a base in Jordan and one in a separate incident in northern Iraq.
Concurrently, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had stopped three oil tankers attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The Guards claimed that one tanker exploded in a mine-laid route south of the strait, causing two others to turn back. In a statement aired by state TV, the IRGC emphasised that the waterway was under its control and warned that any ship attempting to pass without coordination with the Islamic Republic would face similar consequences.
In the Red Sea, Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacking two Saudi oil tankers, identified as the Encelia and the Laylia, on Wednesday evening. The Houthis stated the vessels had violated a naval blockade imposed on Saudi Arabia on Monday. Saudi state media confirmed that the Encelia was hit, resulting in a fire at the bow, but reported that all crew members were safe. The UK Maritime Trade Operation corroborated the incident, noting an unknown projectile hit a Saudi tanker approximately 130km from the coast.
The IRGC also claimed to have destroyed several US military assets in Jordan, including a THAAD radar system, a Patriot system, a C-RAM radar, and a helicopter hangar. Additionally, both the IRGC and the Iranian army stated they had attacked US bases in Kuwait, specifically naming Ali Al Salem, Camp Udairi, Camp Doha, and Camp Arifjan. These claims follow recent American strikes on Iranian targets, marking a significant escalation in the direct military confrontation between the two nations.
The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has become increasingly volatile, with Iran recently using routes hugging the Omani coast to strong-arm vessels into using its own waters. The Houthi blockade of Saudi ports, declared on Monday, has drawn firm warnings from the Saudi-led coalition, raising concerns about further disruption to global energy supplies. As the US continues its strikes against Iran, the combination of naval blockades, mine-laid routes, and direct attacks on military installations underscores the deepening crisis in the region.
