The military confrontation between the United States and Iran intensified sharply over the weekend and into Monday, with both sides exchanging large-scale missile and drone attacks across the Gulf region as Tehran renewed its declaration that the Strait of Hormuz was closed, escalating concerns over global energy supplies and regional security.
The latest wave of attacks marked one of the broadest expansions of the conflict since the war began on Feb. 28, raising fresh doubts about the survival of an interim U.S.-Iran agreement signed last month that had been intended to reopen the strategic waterway and create a 60-day window for negotiations aimed at ending hostilities.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Monday it had launched coordinated strikes against U.S. military facilities across several Gulf countries in retaliation for recent American attacks inside Iran.
According to the Guards, Iranian forces targeted U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, destroyed radar systems in Oman, and struck fuel storage facilities and ammunition depots at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan.
Iran also claimed to have carried out additional attacks against military infrastructure supporting U.S. operations across the region, signaling that it was expanding both the geographic scope and intensity of its military campaign.
The U.S. military confirmed that American forces conducted another series of strikes on Sunday targeting Iranian military capabilities. U.S. Central Command said aircraft, naval vessels, and unmanned aerial systems attacked Iranian air defense systems, coastal radar installations, missile launch capabilities, drone assets, and small naval vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
American officials described the operations as part of an effort to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and military forces operating throughout the Gulf.
The exchange of attacks represents a significant escalation after several weeks of relative restraint following the signing of the preliminary memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.
President Donald Trump appeared to acknowledge the intensified campaign during a brief telephone interview with Reuters on Sunday.
“We’re beating them up,” Trump said when asked about the latest military operations against Iran.
Although Trump has repeatedly declared that he considers the ceasefire effectively over, he has continued leaving open the possibility of renewed diplomatic negotiations should conditions permit.
Iranian officials responded with equally uncompromising rhetoric.
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States, declared on social media that Iran would no longer accept agreements that it believed favored only Washington.
“The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking,” Qalibaf wrote on X.
The conflict, launched by the United States and Israel against Iran earlier this year, has steadily expanded beyond Iranian territory, drawing much of the Gulf region into the confrontation. Iranian attacks have increasingly targeted U.S. military facilities located across allied countries, while American forces have broadened their operations against Iranian military infrastructure.
Thousands of people have reportedly been killed since the conflict began, with casualties concentrated primarily in Iran and Lebanon.
At the center of the dispute remains the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints and a vital artery for global energy supplies.
Iran’s renewed efforts to restrict navigation through the narrow waterway have contributed to rising oil prices and renewed concerns about inflation, particularly as international energy markets react to the heightened risk of prolonged disruption.
The Revolutionary Guards said Monday that restoring normal commercial shipping through the strait would require an end to U.S. military operations in the area.
The group warned that continued American intervention could trigger even greater disruptions to global oil and natural gas markets.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran is seeking to establish a joint mechanism with neighboring Oman to manage future shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Baghaei, those discussions have been complicated by what he described as U.S. pressure on Oman, preventing progress toward a broader regional arrangement governing navigation through the waterway.
Financial markets reacted swiftly to the renewed hostilities.
Brent crude oil prices climbed more than 3% on Monday as investors assessed the growing risk of prolonged disruptions to Gulf energy exports. Even with the latest increase, benchmark prices remained below the highest levels reached earlier in the conflict.
The increase nevertheless presents a political challenge for the Trump administration, as higher fuel prices could become an increasingly sensitive domestic issue ahead of November’s congressional elections.
Iran has steadily transformed the Strait of Hormuz into the central battleground of its confrontation with Washington.
Before the conflict, approximately one-fifth of the world’s seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through the narrow channel linking the Persian Gulf with international markets.
Tehran has proposed establishing a permanent permit and fee system for commercial vessels navigating the strait, a move that many governments argue would fundamentally alter long-standing principles governing international maritime navigation.
After announcing the closure of the waterway on Saturday following what Iranian authorities described as an unauthorized vessel transit, Tehran reiterated Sunday that shipping would remain suspended until “stability and calm” returned.
The United States rejected Iran’s claims, insisting that international navigation remains protected.
Washington also recently reinstated sanctions on Iranian crude exports after revoking a temporary waiver that had allowed limited oil sales following earlier ceasefire negotiations.
U.S. officials maintained that American naval forces remain positioned throughout the region to ensure freedom of navigation despite what they described as Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations concerning commercial shipping.
“Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing,” U.S. officials said.
American military officials added that approximately 20 commercial vessels had been escorted safely through the Strait of Hormuz during the previous 24 hours.
However, publicly available ship-tracking data suggested significantly lower levels of maritime traffic than normal, indicating that many shipping companies continue exercising extreme caution despite military escorts.
The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center also reaffirmed that an expanded southern shipping corridor running closer to Oman’s coastline remains available for commercial traffic in both directions despite the deteriorating security environment.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command disclosed additional details regarding its ongoing military campaign.
The command said Saturday that American forces had struck approximately 140 Iranian military targets during the latest round of operations and more than 300 targets over the preceding three nights.
According to the military, the objective has been to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian shipping and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, however, insists it retains the capability to strike military infrastructure throughout the Gulf.
The Revolutionary Guards said over the weekend that Iranian forces destroyed a command-and-control center and drone facilities in Jordan, targeted U.S.-linked radar systems and rocket launchers in Kuwait, attacked logistical support platforms associated with a U.S. aircraft carrier operating near Oman, and struck aircraft maintenance facilities and command infrastructure in Qatar.
The competing military claims could not be independently verified.
As diplomatic channels continue to narrow and military operations expand across multiple countries, the confrontation appears increasingly likely to evolve into a prolonged regional crisis with consequences extending far beyond the battlefield.
With both Washington and Tehran signaling determination to continue military operations while leaving only limited room for renewed negotiations, the future of the Strait of Hormuz—and the stability of global energy markets—remains one of the most significant uncertainties facing the international community.
More in the Strait of Hormuz coverage
- Commercial vessel traffic slows sharply after renewed military strikes and maritime security concerns disrupt one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
- Proposed agreement includes sanctions relief roadmap, maritime security arrangements and a potential $300 billion reconstruction mechanism as negotiators prepare for formal talks in Switzerland.
- Rubio says Washington will oppose any fee system for the strategic waterway as Iran insists on sovereign control amid ongoing negotiations over war settlement.
