US strikes Iran again, Tehran retaliates across Gulf and closes the Strait of Hormuz as ceasefire collapses
The United States launched new airstrikes on Iran before dawn on Thursday, prompting Tehran to announce retaliatory attacks on American bases in Kuwait and Bahrain and to declare the Strait of Hormuz closed to all shipping until further notice, as the April ceasefire lies in ruins.
Fresh US bombardment
On Thursday 11 June, the US military carried out a new wave of "defensive strikes" against Iranian military targets, focusing on surveillance, communication systems and air defense sites across the country. Explosions were reported in the southern coastal areas of Qeshm, Minab, Sirik and Bandar Abbas, as well as near Tehran in Karaj, Nazarabad and Pishva. At least three people were wounded in Tehran province, according to local medical officials cited by the Fars news agency. The strikes followed an earlier round on the night of 9–10 June, deepening a cycle of violence that has all but buried a ceasefire that came into effect on 8 April after more than five weeks of bombing.
Iranian riposte across the Gulf
Within hours, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched drones at three bases used by American forces: Ali al-Salem and Ahmad al-Jaber in Kuwait, and Sheikh Isa air base in Bahrain. Iranian media also claimed an attack on the headquarters of the US 5th Fleet in Bahrain. Air-raid sirens sounded across the kingdom, and an 11-year-old girl was lightly injured by falling debris in Manama; vehicles caught fire and buildings were damaged in Madinat Hamad. Kuwait scrambled its air defenses, temporarily closing its airspace. In addition, the Guards claimed to have fired 12 ballistic missiles at the Al-Azraq base in Jordan, another US facility. The Revolutionary Guards stated that "18 important targets belonging to the US military were hit" across the two waves of operations.
Closure of the Strait of Hormuz
In the most dramatic move of the day, Iran's armed forces and the naval branch of the Guards announced the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice". All vessels were warned not to approach the waterway; any attempt to transit would be considered collaboration with the enemy. Tehran's state media reported that the Iranian navy struck two ships that were trying to pass illegally. The commander of the Guards' aviation, Sardar Mousavi, threatened,
The US military's Central Command quickly denied the closure, saying that commercial ships were still transiting the strait on Wednesday evening, though vessels in the area were put on high alert. The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas trade, and crude prices rose by one dollar within three hours of the announcement.We will turn this region into hell for you.
Ceasefire collapses into bomb diplomacy
The 8 April ceasefire has become "practically meaningless", the Iranian foreign ministry said on Thursday, accusing the United States of a flagrant violation of the UN Charter. President Donald Trump had abruptly changed course on Wednesday, warning that Iran had been "stringing us along" and would now "pay the price". Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Tehran of "playing cat and mouse" in negotiations and declared,
The administration is now openly pursuing what it calls "bomb diplomacy" to force a deal, while US inflation, which hit 4.2% in the latest figures, adds domestic pressure. Oil market tremors may yet prove Iran's most effective lever on Washington.If we have to negotiate with bombs, we will negotiate with bombs, and we are very good at it.
- Ceasefire enters force after weeks of US-Iran bombing
- First US strikes on Iran after ceasefire; Iran retaliates
- Second US strikes launched at dawn across Iran
- Iran retaliates with drones and missiles on Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan
- Iran announces Strait of Hormuz closed, strikes two ships
- Oil price spikes; US CENTCOM denies strait closure
