The latest flare-up in attacks between the US and Iran has entered a new dimension, with the conflict now centered on the question of who controls the strategic waterway- the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington and Tehran have made conflicting claims over the status of maritime traffic through the waterway. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said over the weekend that it had closed the strait after firing a warning shot at a vessel attempting to use an unauthorized route.
Iranian maritime authorities later backed the claim, saying the passage of vessels was “not possible” until “stability and calm” were restored.
The US, however, said the waterway remained open. US Central Command stated that the strait was “open to all vessels” and that American forces were prepared to ensure freedom of navigation.
The Joint Maritime Information Center, overseen by the US Navy, also said the southern route along the Omani coastline remained open for two-way traffic. US President Donald Trump told CNN that “it’s open as far as we’re concerned.”
The US military said it had struck dozens of Iranian military targets in a second night of attacks after having struck 140 targets in southern Iran over the weekend with an aim to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and American assets in the region..
Aggressively retaliating, Iranian forces responded with a fresh wave of attacks targeting US bases in the region. The escalation threatens a fragile agreement between the US and Iran as both sides approach the halfway point of a 60-day window intended to reach a broader agreement.
Iran’s military said on Monday that it had responded by launching attacks on US military targets in the region, including locations in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.
The renewed fighting has placed further pressure on already fragile negotiations and raised fears that the crisis could expand beyond direct military exchanges.
Air defenses were activated across several U.S.-aligned countries in the region. Bahrain sounded air raid sirens, while Kuwait’s military said it was responding to what it described as “hostile aerial targets.” Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted four missiles that entered its airspace.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for a series of missile and drone attacks against American military facilities. The group said it targeted the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, and US military facilities in Kuwait.
The IRGC claimed that its strikes damaged missile storage areas, fuel facilities, aircraft maintenance sites, and drone operation centers. It also said it destroyed military equipment at bases in Kuwait.
Tehran’s strategy appears focused on using economic pressure by threatening one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes. Mohsen Rezaee, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, called the Strait of Hormuz one of Iran’s most important strategic assets, saying it was “more important than dozens of atomic bombs.” Western nations have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons capability, while Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Meanwhile, US Central Command said it used “one-way attack aerial drones and one-way attack sea drones for the first time” during strikes against Iran on Sunday. The exact types and numbers of drones used were not disclosed.
US aerial attack drones were first deployed early in the conflict through the Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a low-cost drone modeled after Iran’s Shahed-136 design, which Russia has used extensively in its war in Ukraine. CENTCOM said the drones represented “American-made retribution” against Iran.
