International Desk.- The new escalation of the conflict between the United States and Iran spread this Sunday to several Middle Eastern countries with U.S. bases, after Washington launched another round of attacks against Iranian territory and Tehran responded with missiles and drones against Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The offensive by U.S. forces against Iran reached some 140 military targets, according to U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which justified the attack due to a previous bombing by the Islamic Republic against a vessel transiting through Hormuz, one of the main focal points of tension in the conflict.
This new escalation comes after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a few days ago that the agreement both countries reached on June 17 to end the war, unblock the Strait of Hormuz, and open negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program was terminated, following the resumption of bombings in the Middle East.
Hormuz, closed “until further notice”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz “until further notice” and asserted that any foreign interference to open an “illegal route” in the region will receive a forceful response, according to a statement broadcast by the state-run IRIB broadcasting corporation.
In that statement, the Iranian military body explains that several vessels ignored the warning to transit exclusively through an authorized zone.
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According to their account, a vessel endangered maritime security and after firing warning shots to no avail, the Revolutionary Guard Navy detained it.
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Hours later, it reported another attack on “a second offending vessel” in the strait.
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More U.S. attacks
The United States launched its third offensive against Iran this week at 19:15 local time on Saturday (23:15 GMT), after, according to Centcom, Tehran bombed a Cyprus-flagged container ship sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. forces justified the attack against the Islamic Republic by claiming they are “degrading its ability” to attack other vessels in the strait.
Iranian media reported explosions in various parts of the country after the U.S. announced its new round of attacks—which it has already declared concluded—including cities in the Bushehr province (southwest), which houses a nuclear power plant, as well as locations near Hormuz.
At the moment, there is no information about victims in these attacks.
Iran attacks Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain
For its part, Iran claimed responsibility this Sunday for missile and drone attacks in Middle Eastern countries that host U.S. military bases and facilities, including Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard stated in a communiqué that it attacked “with several ballistic missiles” key military infrastructure and facilities at the Prince Hassan US airbase, located in Jordan, which caused the “destruction” of its command and control center, as well as MQ9 drone hangars, according to the Tasnim agency, which is linked to the corps.
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In addition, it reported missile attacks against the Al-Udeid US air base in Qatar, which houses the largest contingent of US troops and equipment.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, at least three people, including a child, were injured by falling shrapnel as a result of the interception of projectiles launched from Iran.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Army claimed an offensive with “destructive drones” against the Patriot missile system in Kuwait, as well as against an ammunition depot and a radar station of the US forces in the same country.
In another offensive, Iran attacked the communications system and the radar station of the US Army in Bahrain.
Omani authorities also reported that their country was attacked this Sunday by “drones,” although without specifying their origin.
An Omani security source informed the official news agency ONA that “several sites in the Musandam region were targeted by drone attacks.”
“The era of unilateral agreements has ended”
Following the intensification of cross-border attacks, the Speaker of Parliament and chief negotiator of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned the United States that “the era of unilateral agreements is over.”
“We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking at the door,” he wrote in a post on X accompanied by an image with the text of a point from the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran that alludes to the reopening of Hormuz, with the phrase “the Islamic Republic of Iran will take the necessary measures” underlined.
