US and Iran trade heavy strikes across the Gulf, ceasefire collapses as Hormuz closes again

A second night of American strikes

American forces launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday night into Monday, the second consecutive night of bombardment. The operations lasted more than three hours and targeted dozens of military sites, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). Aircraft, warships and, for the first time, suicide drones from both air and sea were used to hit anti-aircraft systems, coastal surveillance radars, missile and drone infrastructure, and small fast-attack craft. CENTCOM said the strikes began at 17:00 Eastern Time (midnight in Greece) and were ordered by President Donald Trump to hold Iranian forces accountable and degrade their ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

We are hitting them hard.

Iran retaliates across the Gulf

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded almost immediately, announcing missile and drone attacks on American military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan. The IRGC claimed it struck fuel tanks and ammunition depots at the Prince Hassan air base in Jordan, destroyed radar systems in Oman, and hit helicopter maintenance facilities, a hangar housing a P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, and the command centre at the Sheikh Isa air base in Bahrain. Bahrain's defence ministry said its air defence systems intercepted and shot down several Iranian missiles and drones in the early morning hours. Kuwait reported that three border posts in the north of the country and an offshore drilling platform belonging to the Kuwait Oil Company were hit; one worker was wounded and material damage was caused by an enemy drone.

Casualties and explosions on Iran's southern coast

At least one person was killed and four others wounded in the Iranian province of Khuzestan when a projectile struck a water pumping station in the city of Mahshahr, according to the state news agency IRNA. A security guard died and four people were injured. Separately, a telecommunications worker was killed and two colleagues wounded in an attack on the town of Farour in Bandar Lengeh, Hormozgan province. The pro-government Mehr agency reported that the head of the Hormozgan telecommunications authority was killed on Qeshm Island while on a repair mission. Explosions were also heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas and near Qeshm Island, both on the Strait of Hormuz. IRNA described the blasts as "enemy attacks" in areas housing military installations. Reuters noted it could not independently confirm those reports.

The Strait of Hormuz closes again

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's crude oil normally passes, has become the central front of the conflict. Iran announced it was closing the strait again until further notice, reversing the temporary agreement signed on 17 June. The IRGC warned that "continued interference may lead to even more serious incidents in the global oil and gas sector." Shipping traffic through the strait has already fallen to a five-week low, with several shipping companies avoiding transit or delaying schedules. Iran claimed it fired warning shots at a tanker moving without permission on Saturday and immobilised a second vessel a day later. The IRGC stated that the only condition for fully restoring commercial navigation is an end to American military interventions in the region.

The era of unilateral agreements is OVER. We told you: keep your commitments or pay the price. Reality is knocking at the door.

Diplomacy in ruins and markets react

Iran's foreign ministry condemned the American strikes, accusing Washington of having "annihilated all efforts of recent months" aimed at restoring peace in the Middle East. Tehran charged that the US "blatantly violated almost all the terms" of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June, which had aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days and pause hostilities that began on 28 February with sweeping US-Israeli bombardments. President Trump told Reuters by phone on Sunday that he considers the ceasefire to have expired, though he left the door open to new talks. Brent crude rose 4.3% to $79.31 per barrel as the escalation hit energy markets directly.