The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that the U.S. military launched strikes on Iranian targets yesterday in response to Tehran's attack on American forces in the Middle East. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe says the latest barrage came after the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Iran-backed militias in neighbouring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers. President Donald Trump had vowed to retaliate after Iran targeted a base in Jordan that hosts U.S. troops. Elsewhere, drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. The flare-ups on multiple fronts after several days of relative calm raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans. The fighting was also likely to add to concerns that the U.S. is further drawing down already diminished stockpiles of munitions needed to defend its bases and allies. Brent crude jumped 7.3 per cent to $88.09 (U.S.) a barrel.