US strikes 140 targets in Iran after ship attack; Tehran warns 'era of unilateral agreements is over' and closes Strait of Hormuz

Overnight escalation of fire

The United States and Iran traded heavy blows overnight after a Cypriot-flagged container ship came under apparent Iranian warning fire while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. According to US Central Command, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted the vessel, prompting the Pentagon to launch a precise and extensive retaliation. Iranian state media reported multiple explosions in Bushehr province, home to the country's nuclear power plant, and in several coastal settlements near the strait. No official details of damage or casualties have been released by either side so far, but the strikes mark the most serious direct military exchange since the 17 June ceasefire memorandum.

US strikes 140 targets inside Iran

Centcom said its forces struck approximately 140 military targets across Iran, including missile and drone installations, naval assets, ammunition storage depots, communication networks and coastal surveillance posts. The attacks were carried out using precision munitions delivered by fighter jets, drones and warships. The Pentagon stated that the operation was "concluded" after achieving its operational goals. The strikes were a direct response to what Washington described as an unprovoked harassment of commercial shipping in the strategically vital waterway.

Iran's retaliation and warning

Within hours, the IRGC launched its own wave of missile and drone attacks against US bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

The offensive was in response to a US aerial attack against several coastal bases and telecom antennas in southern Iran.

Shortly afterwards, Iran's parliament speaker and top nuclear negotiator, Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf, took to social media to deliver an uncompromising message to Washington.

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

The post featured an image of the memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June, with the clause stating that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will take the necessary measures" underlined. The warning left little room for doubt: Tehran is ready to act independently.

Strait of Hormuz effectively closed

Qalibaf's message was quickly read by Iranian state media as a de facto order to close the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial traffic. The waterway handles roughly 20% of the world's daily oil consumption, and any sustained closure would send crude prices spiralling. The move reverses a key element of the 17 June deal, which had called for the strait's reopening as a confidence-building measure. Global shipping insurers have already started reviewing their risk assessments.

Ceasefire in tatters

The June 17 memorandum, brokered to end the war and begin nuclear negotiations, is now in ruins. President Donald Trump had already described the agreement as "rescinded" earlier this month, citing what he called Iran's bad faith and the resumption of bombardments across the Middle East. Qalibaf's statement explicitly references the breach, accusing Washington of failing to honour its commitments. The diplomatic backchannel that produced the memorandum appears severed.

What next

With both sides having demonstrated the ability to strike deep into each other's territory and the Strait of Hormuz now a contested chokepoint, the risk of a wider regional war is higher than at any point since the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018. International shipping firms are rerouting vessels, and energy markets are bracing for volatility when trading opens on Monday. No fresh mediation effort has been announced, and both capitals remain in a posture of escalation.