The United States conducted new strikes against Iran on Sunday evening, continuing a series of attacks between the two countries. Iranian state media reported that the strikes resulted in one fatality and four injuries in southwestern Iran. Within hours of the latest U.S. strikes, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated it had targeted U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain.
These escalating attacks cast doubt on the future of the interim U.S.-Iran agreement, which was signed in June. The exchange comes amid conflicting claims regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran asserts that it has closed the crucial waterway until further notice, while the U.S. maintains that it remains open.
Centcom announced on Sunday evening that its forces initiated another round of strikes against Iran at 17:00 ET (22:00 BST). The command later stated that dozens of Iranian military targets, including air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, and missile and drone capabilities, were struck. A statement from Centcom indicated that U.S. 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 Centcom's initial announcement, Iranian state television reported explosions in Sirik, Qeshm, Bandar Abbas, and Jask. The deputy governor for security and law enforcement in Khuzestan province, Valiollah Hayati, was cited by IRNA as saying, "Following the attack of the American enemy on Monday morning... one person was martyred and four others were injured."
Oil prices saw an increase on Monday morning in Asian trading. Brent crude rose by 4% to $79.07 a barrel, while U.S.-traded oil gained 4.2% to $74.53. Energy prices on global wholesale markets have experienced significant fluctuations in recent months in response to developments in the conflict.
Following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint through which approximately 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes. Despite recent gains, prices remain considerably below the mark of over $120 a barrel that Brent crude reached at the end of April.
The new series of U.S. strikes on Sunday evening followed earlier attacks where U.S. forces struck 140 Iranian military targets, according to Centcom on Saturday evening. Iran's IRGC retaliated to those strikes with broad attacks on U.S. bases and allied positions across the region, representing an escalation in the scale of hostilities. Iran's targets included Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire negotiations that had not been attacked since April, and the UAE, which had not been attacked since May. The BBC has reached out to U.S. Central Command for comment regarding an attack in Jordan.
The renewed exchange of fire has jeopardized an interim ceasefire agreement established last month, which aimed to reopen the strait and ultimately lead to a permanent end to the conflict. Earlier in the week, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the Iranian attacks meant the ceasefire was over, while Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the U.S. of violating the deal. However, Trump stated that negotiations would continue, and mediators were actively working to revive the process. On Sunday, U.S. Central Command reiterated its assertion that the Strait was open and warned that the U.S. military was positioned to ensure its continued free flow.