An unconfirmed order to halt all vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, even if not yet officially confirmed, is the kind of headline that oil markets cannot afford to treat cautiously, since a full stoppage rather than harassment of individual ships would represent a much more severe supply shock. The nature of the targets this round, air defenses, coastal surveillance, anti-ship missiles and drone launch sites, suggests the US is working to degrade Iran's capacity to threaten shipping and military assets more broadly, not simply retaliating for a single incident, which points to a longer campaign rather than a quick resolution. The Kuwait power outages add a further layer of regional disruption risk, and while the cause has not been tied directly to the conflict, the timing alone is likely to feed market unease about wider infrastructure impacts. With strikes reported to continue for hours yet, positioning is likely to stay defensive until there is more clarity on both the strait and the confirmed scope of damage.---US strikes on Iranian air defenses, radar and missile sites set to continue for hours, as unconfirmed reports say Iran ordered a full halt to Strait of Hormuz shipping and Kuwait reports scattered power outages. Summary:US sources say strikes on Iran are set to continue for a few hours yetStrikes have so far targeted Iranian air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface to air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and drone launch sitesUnconfirmed reports from Iran claim the IRGC Navy has been instructed to halt all vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until further noticeNo official confirmation of the halt order has been issuedKuwait's Ministry of Electricity says there are power outages across scattered areas of the country following the disconnection of several transmission linesUS strikes against Iran are set to continue for several more hours, according to American sources, as the military campaign widens its focus to a broader set of Iranian defense and shipping related infrastructure.The strikes so far have targeted Iranian air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface to air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and drone launch sites, according to reports of the operation. The scope of those targets suggests Washington is working to strip Iran of its capacity to threaten both military assets and commercial shipping in the region, rather than limiting the response to a single set of facilities linked to the earlier attacks on vessels in the Gulf.Adding to the uncertainty, unconfirmed reports from Iran claim the IRGC Navy has been instructed to halt all vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. No official confirmation of any such order has been issued by Iranian authorities, and the claim has not been independently verified. Even unconfirmed, the prospect of a total halt to transit through one of the world's most important oil shipping corridors marks a significant escalation from the harassment of individual vessels reported earlier in the week.In a separate development that may or may not be connected to the conflict, Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity said there are power outages across scattered areas of the country following the disconnection of several power transmission lines. No cause has yet been officially attributed to the outages, but the timing has drawn attention given the wider instability in the Gulf region this week.Together, the continuing strikes, the unconfirmed shipping halt and the outages in Kuwait point to a rapidly evolving and increasingly uncertain security picture across the Gulf, with implications for regional energy infrastructure and shipping that extend well beyond the direct US-Iran confrontation. Markets and regional governments are likely to remain on high alert as further details emerge over the coming hours. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.