Dubai – A fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to collapse early on Thursday after US forces launched fresh strikes on targets in southern Iran, prompting Tehran to announce retaliatory military operations and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil shipping chokepoint.
The escalation marked one of the most serious direct military confrontations between the long-time adversaries since the outbreak of the conflict earlier this year, raising fears of a broader regional war and fresh disruption to global energy supplies.
Multiple explosions were reported across Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, Sirik and Minab, shortly after midnight local time, according to Iranian media. Air defence systems were activated across several areas as military activity intensified in the Persian Gulf.
The US military confirmed a new round of operations against targets in southern Iran, according to statements carried by Iranian media, while Tehran said the attacks focused on areas around the Strait of Hormuz and strategic facilities in Hormozgan province.
Hours later, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country’s highest operational military command, announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all maritime traffic.
“Any vessel attempting transit through the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” the headquarters said in a statement, describing the measure as a response to what it called continued US aggression.
The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, making any disruption a major concern for energy markets. Oil prices rose as traders assessed the risk to global supplies, although U.S. officials said commercial traffic through the strait was continuing.
Iran Announces Retaliatory Strikes
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched a two-wave retaliatory operation against American military installations across the Persian Gulf.
The force said it struck 18 targets belonging to the US military at Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al Jaber air bases in Kuwait and Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, describing the attacks as retaliation for strikes on Iranian military positions and infrastructure near Bandar Abbas.
Separately, Iran’s army announced a drone strike against the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, claiming to have targeted communications facilities and radar systems associated with Patriot air defence batteries.
Iranian media also reported missile and drone attacks against US naval assets operating near the Strait of Hormuz, with preliminary reports suggesting at least one American warship sustained damage. The Pentagon has maintained silence about the Iranian strike on American warships.
The IRGC Navy separately said it had struck two oil tankers allegedly attempting to transit the strait in defiance of the closure order and warned that any vessel approaching the waterway could be treated as cooperating with hostile forces.
Trump Claims
US President Donald Trump told Fox News that American military operations against Iran would soon conclude, claiming Iranian officials had asked Washington to halt the attacks.
Trump said US forces had launched 49 Tomahawk cruise missiles against Iranian targets and warned that further strikes could follow if Tehran refused to reach an agreement with Washington.
He also said Israel had played no role in the latest attacks.
Iranian state media rejected Trump’s claims as “completely false”, denying any contact with US officials and accusing Washington of attempting to justify the latest military action.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said the US decision to halt some attacks was the result of a “powerful and decisive response” by Iranian forces and warned that military operations would continue.
Region on Edge
The latest exchange of strikes further undermined efforts to preserve a ceasefire reached earlier this year and highlighted the continued volatility of the conflict, which has already disrupted energy markets and shipping routes across the Gulf.
Iranian officials warned that any country directly participating in military operations against the Islamic Republic would face a proportional response, raising concerns that the confrontation could expand beyond the United States and Iran.
As reports of air strikes, missile launches, drone attacks and naval engagements multiplied across the region, Gulf governments and global markets braced for the possibility of a wider conflict centred on one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
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