US Strikes Iran Again in Two Weeks—Pattern Suggests Cycle, Not Isolated Response

The US hit Iranian military sites across southern ports and Qeshm Island on July 7, responding to attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Two strikes in twelve days signals escalation rather than contained deterrence. If Iran and the US continue alternating retaliation, the strait could become a sustained conflict zone, destabilizing global oil markets and dragging uninvolved regional states into the exchange.