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The United States and Iran have exchanged multiple rounds of strikes over the past week, escalating tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz and threatening a fragile ceasefire. The latest exchanges include US strikes on Iranian targets and Iranian retaliatory attacks on US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Coverage Comparison
Reports from Al Jazeera, Dawn, The Guardian, and The Hindu describe a series of tit-for-tat attacks that began after a ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz was hit by a projectile on Friday. The US responded with strikes on Iranian targets, and Iran retaliated with attacks on US-allied countries across the region. The exchanges have continued for several days, with each side accusing the other of violating the terms of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on June 17.
Al Jazeera reported that the US announced another round of early-morning strikes on Sunday, with US Central Command saying the attacks were designed to weaken Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships. Iranian state media reported explosions near the Strait of Hormuz, including in Sirik, Qeshm Island, Jask, and west of Bandar Abbas. The governorate of Hormozgan province said no civilian casualties had been reported so far.
Dawn reported that Tehran said on Sunday it carried out a third day of retaliatory strikes against US attacks on Iranian territory. The IRGC said it was taking measures to control traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and that violating vessels would be dealt with more firmly. Dawn also noted that the exchanges underscored the fragility of a Pakistan-brokered peace process.
The Guardian reported that Iran launched attacks on American military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, with the IRGC saying it targeted US bases and destroyed radar systems in Oman and struck fuel tanks at Prince Hassan air base in Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted four missiles, and Kuwait's military said it was intercepting hostile aerial targets.
The Hindu reported that the US military struck 10 targets in Iran at President Donald Trump's direction, in response to an Iranian drone attack on a merchant vessel. US Central Command said the strikes involved 10 Iranian military targets at multiple locations in and near the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Claims
- The US has launched multiple rounds of strikes on Iranian targets, with US Central Command saying the attacks aim to degrade Iran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The number of targets struck varies by report: The Hindu reported 10 targets in one instance, while Al Jazeera and Dawn reported approximately 90 military targets on another day, and 140 targets in a separate wave.
- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed retaliatory attacks on US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, including the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait and the Fifth Fleet naval base at Port Salman in Bahrain. The IRGC said it destroyed eight important US military facilities and warned of a "crushing response" to any further US attacks.
- Bahrain condemned the attacks, saying they violated its sovereignty, while Kuwait described them as a "flagrant violation of its sovereignty." Kuwait's Defence Ministry said it was intercepting missiles and drones, and Qatar issued an "elevated security threat" alert.
- US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was "over" and threatened that if the US is forced to resume the war, "the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!" He also wrote on Truth Social that the US attacks were "retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran."
- The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17, extending a ceasefire and giving both sides 60 days to negotiate an end to the fighting. Article 5 of the MoU calls for safe passage for commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
- The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway through which a fifth of global oil supplies passed before the war. Iran has used control of the strait as leverage in negotiations, and its blockade has triggered a global energy crisis.
- The US and Iran have accused each other of violating the MoU's terms. The US says Iran does not control the strait, while the IRGC says the strait "is our territory."