The United States and Saudi Arabia have jointly struck Iranian-backed groups in Iraq today, just a few days after a ceasefire.
This marks the first time Riyadh has publicly announced its participation in joint strikes with the US, which could escalate the conflict by drawing Sunni Muslim Saudis into a new confrontation against Iran's Shiites.
One of the Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, has stated that US and Saudi forces will pay a "heavy price".
Meanwhile, last night Iran fired upon American bases in Jordan and ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as rejected Oman's proposal to jointly manage the strait.
"We will hit them hard, they will pay dearly," said US President Donald Trump in response to Fox News.
Amid the renewed tensions, oil prices in international markets have risen again. The price of Brent crude has surpassed $90 per barrel, exceeding the previous day's figure by nearly 7 percent.
The US also announced a new package of sanctions against Iran today, targeting 8 tankers and 10 organizations. According to the US Treasury Department, 6 of the organizations included in the blacklist are located in China.
