The Minister of Education announced that 65% of the assessments intended for secondary education have been duly graded.
Retaliatory Attacks Between the US and Iran
United States armed forces conducted attacks on Iranian targets for the second consecutive night. This action was a direct retaliation for attacks perpetrated by the Islamic Republic against merchant ships in waters near Oman.
The US military Central Command (CENTCOM) disclosed on social media that, following orders from President Donald Trump, American forces initiated additional attacks against Iran. The stated objective was to reduce Iran's capacity to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Context of the Confrontations
The attacks that occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday during the Iranian early morning were a response to those carried out by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. These attacks targeted merchant ships and their civilian crews navigating freely through this internationally important strategic route.
Donald Trump had threatened to initiate further military measures against Iran on Wednesday, alleging that Iranian attacks on civilian vessels signaled the end of any ceasefire. After the NATO summit in Ankara, he declared that they would attack forcefully that night, assuring that the new conflicts would be brief, but maintaining the possibility of continuing diplomatic dialogues with Tehran.
New Threats and Local Impacts
Hours after the bombings and before landing in the United Kingdom, the American president reiterated the threat to Tehran if there was a recurrence of attacks on merchant ships, warning that the next occurrence would be 'much worse.' This was communicated in the caption of a photo of a fire near a city, posted on his Truth Social platform, following the circulation of videos of explosions without identification of origin or location.
Shortly after the CENTCOM announcement, Iranian public television reported explosions on Abu Musa island. Subsequently, eight explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas and two projectiles hit the port of Sirik, while another two exploded at the port of Jask. The Iranian news agency Irib also reported that Imam Ali Hospital, located in Chabahar, suffered damage from shrapnel.
The official Iranian agency IRNA reported that combat aircraft flew over Kish Island and several explosions shook the port cities of Konarak and Chabahar, as well as Bandar Abbas, some of which registered power supply interruptions. The targets of the bombings were identified as maritime traffic control towers.
Strategic Importance of the Strait
This recent episode of exchanged attacks shook a fragile ceasefire agreement and harmed expectations of converting the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 into a lasting peace pact, which began with US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran on February 28.
In discussions, control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the global oil supply passes, currently holds greater relevance for Tehran than its nuclear program. This strait grants enormous power to the Iranian regime, allowing it, in practice, to impose a stalemate against the world's most powerful military force.
Although Iran has not assumed responsibility for the attacks, analysts suggest that Tehran is using these actions to strengthen its influence while negotiating a long-term peace agreement with the US. Trump, in Ankara, commented that if an agreement were made with Iran, he was not sure it would be maintained, classifying them as 'very dishonorable people.' The American president, who threatened to intensify military action before backing down, emphasized that he does not foresee a return to total war and that it was unclear whether negotiations for a permanent agreement would continue.
