The United States has conducted a new wave of strikes targeting Iran, which President Donald Trump said were carried out "in honour" of three American soldiers killed recently. Two soldiers died in Jordan and one in Iraq.
Early Monday local time, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) reported launching strikes for the ninth consecutive night, with explosions heard across Iran. The U.S. stated its targets were military sites and communications networks aimed at diminishing Iran's attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, in response, reported carrying out a "surprise attack" in Syria and targeting U.S. aircraft at Jordan's Aqaba airport. Kuwait's armed forces also announced they had intercepted Iranian drones.
According to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, several Iranian cities were hit, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr, and Bandar Imam Khomeini. State media also reported that two oil tankers exploded while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the tankers were traversing an "unsafe and hazardous southern route" when they exploded and came to a halt. Centcom has disputed these claims. The IRGC stated that the strait would not be safe for transit of petrochemical products, oil, or gas as long as U.S. strikes continue, vowing a "punitive operation" in response.
Over the weekend, the U.S. confirmed the death of a service member following an Iranian attack in northern Iraq on Saturday. This incident occurred a day after an attack on a base in Jordan resulted in the deaths of two U.S. soldiers, with another reported missing. The U.S. indicated that "unidentified remains" were discovered, and verification is ongoing.
During the ongoing exchanges between the U.S. and Iran over the weekend, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed that the U.S. "always remains open to a diplomatic solution." He also emphasized the international community's role in deciding whether to allow Iran to control the crucial shipping route, which he described Tehran as using for leverage.
These developments follow the unraveling of a preliminary deal made in mid-June to cease hostilities. Negotiations for a permanent peace have reportedly seen little progress since Trump declared the agreement "over" on July 8.