US and Iran Trade Strikes, Strait of Hormuz Status in Dispute
The United States launched a fresh round of strikes against Iran on Sunday evening, continuing days of military exchanges between the two nations. Iranian state media reported that one person was killed and four others injured in southwestern Iran.
Within hours of the US strikes, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had struck US military bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain. The claims could not be independently verified.
The escalating attacks have cast doubt over the future of the interim US-Iran agreement signed in June, which aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and eventually bring a permanent end to the conflict. The status of the key waterway remains disputed: Iran says it has closed the strait until further notice, while the US insists it remains open.
On Sunday evening, US Central Command (Centcom) announced another round of strikes against Iran, which it said began at 17:00 ET (22:00 GMT). Dozens of Iranian military targets were hit, including air-defence systems, coastal radar sites, and missile and drone capabilities. Centcom said US forces were 'prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping despite Iran's continued unwarranted aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations.'
Minutes before the Centcom announcement, Iranian state television reported explosions in Sirik, Qeshm, Bandar Abbas and Jask. The state news agency IRNA quoted the deputy governor for security and law enforcement in Khuzestan province, Valiollah Hayati, saying: 'Following the attack of the American enemy on Monday morning... one person was martyred and four others were injured.'
Oil prices jumped on Monday morning in Asia. Brent crude rose by 4% to $79.07 a barrel, while US-traded oil gained 4.2% to $74.53. Energy prices have swung wildly in recent months as traders reacted to developments in the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) normally passes. Iran effectively closed the strait after the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February. The interim agreement signed in June was intended to reopen it, but the latest strikes have jeopardised that accord.
On Saturday evening, Centcom said US forces had hit 140 Iranian military targets. The IRGC responded with wide-ranging attacks on US bases and allies across the region, including Qatar and the UAE — countries that had not been targeted since April and May respectively. The BBC has approached US Central Command for comment on an attack in Jordan.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump declared that the Iranian attacks meant the ceasefire was over. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of violating the deal. However, Trump said talks would continue and mediators were trying to revive the process.
Centcom reiterated on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz was open, warning that the US military was positioned to ensure it remained free-flowing.
