In retaliation for US strikes, Iran launched massive attacks targeting US military bases and installations across the Persian Gulf region on Sunday. Tehran also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway.
While the US and Iran have recently engaged in a series of tit-for-tat attacks centered on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the scale of Sunday’s offensive was significantly larger than previous incidents.
The scope of the attacks has now extended to Qatar—a nation that has been mediating ceasefire talks between the two countries; Qatar had not faced any attacks since last April. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates reported that its air defense systems intercepted missiles and drones originating from Iran; the UAE had also been free from attacks since early May.
In a statement on the social media platform X, US Central Command said, “The US military launched new strikes against Iran starting at 5 PM local time on Sunday, aiming to dismantle Iran’s capability to attack commercial and civilian vessels freely navigating the Strait of Hormuz.”
Speaking to Reuters in a brief phone call on Sunday afternoon regarding the week’s US strikes, President Donald Trump said, “We are hitting them hard.”
Iranian media reported missile strikes and loud explosions near Bandar Abbas and the nearby island of Qeshm on Sunday. This renewed violence has plunged the future of the interim ceasefire agreement—signed by the US and Iran last month—into a deeper crisis. That agreement aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict through negotiations over the subsequent 60 days.
Last week, Donald Trump stated that he considered the ceasefire to be over, though he kept the door open for negotiations.
The conflict, initiated by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28, has destabilized the entire Gulf region. Iran has been launching successive attacks on countries hosting US bases. Fuel prices in the global market have risen due to Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, further fueling global inflation.
