Per international wire reports, US forces struck targets inside Iran for a second straight day through June 11. Trump warned of wider attacks absent a deal, and hopes for an imminent agreement faded fast.

Retaliation and the strait

Iran said it fired missiles at the US Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain and claimed air bases in Kuwait and Jordan were also targeted. Tehran then declared a 'complete closure' of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of seaborne oil passes.

Whether a blockade can be sustained is unclear. Iran has threatened closures before without fully cutting the route, but this declaration came amid direct exchanges with US forces, giving it added weight.

Spillover to markets and the region

The declaration is stoking oil prices and freight rates—a direct variable for Korea, China and Japan, which rely heavily on Middle East crude. Gulf flights and logistics may be disrupted.

Regional calculations are growing complicated: mediator Oman's standing is shaken, and Gulf states fear being drawn into the conflict.

A third perspective: escalation and exits

Washington argues pressure speeds a deal; Tehran calls its response a defense of sovereignty. Europe and Asia urge restraint over energy security and civilian harm. We relay confirmed facts without adopting either frame—for Chinese residents in Korea, this is a matter of fuel costs, exchange rates and logistics.