Iran attacks another tanker in Hormuz as US strikes continue for tenth night

Iran attacked another commercial tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel, as the United States carried out a 10th consecutive night of airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic in an escalating conflict over the strategic waterway.

The continued US military campaign has so far failed to persuade Tehran to ease its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route through which about one-fifth of the world's seaborne crude oil and natural gas trade traditionally passed during peacetime.

Despite growing fears of a broader regional conflict, diplomatic efforts continued as Iran's interior minister travelled to Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator between the two sides. However, there was no indication that fresh negotiations were close to ending the hostilities.

The temporary agreement reached last month to halt the fighting has effectively collapsed, while commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted. As military operations intensify, both Washington and Tehran have accused each other of targeting infrastructure relied upon by civilians.

The US State Department issued a fresh global security alert, warning that Iran and groups aligned with it could target American interests, personnel and facilities around the world.

The conflict has also affected global energy markets, with oil prices rising sharply in recent weeks. Brent crude traded above 88 dollars a barrel on Tuesday, while the average price of regular gasoline in the United States climbed to about four dollars per gallon, adding pressure on consumers ahead of this year's midterm elections.

The US military also identified two service members killed in an Iranian attack on a military base in Jordan, while a third soldier remains unaccounted for.

Separately, the Pentagon confirmed the death of another American service member in Iraq on Saturday during what it described as the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone.

President Donald Trump vowed a strong response to attacks on US troops, saying on social media that Iran would "pay many times over" whenever an American soldier was killed.

Trump was also scheduled to attend a ceremony later Tuesday at Dover Air Force Base, where the remains of at least one of the fallen service members were expected to arrive.