This frame grab from AFPTV video footage on July 12, 2026 shows cargo ships anchored near the Strait of Hormuz in Khor Fakkan, off the east coast of the United Arab Emirates.
– | AFP | getty images
Iran responded to a fresh wave of US military strikes by attacking US military bases in several Gulf states, deepening the standoff at the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
The latest exchange casts further doubt over the future of the interim peace accord signed last month, an agreement that sought to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pave the way for an end to the war after 60 days of talks.
The Iranian strikes targeted US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman and Qatar, according to the country’s state media outlets, calling it a retaliation for the renewed US bombing.
Reuters quoted the country’s Interior Ministry as saying that sirens sounded in Bahrain for the third time on Monday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted US military facilities in Bahrain and radar systems in Oman as part of its latest retaliatory attacks.
US Central Command Said On Sunday, US forces successfully hit dozens of targets in multiple locations to reduce Tehran’s ability to continue attacking ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
US forces struck Iranian military air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities and small boats for the first time using US combat aircraft, naval ships, one-way attack aerial drones and one-way attack maritime drones, CENTCOM said in a post on Twitter.
The US and Iran also issued conflicting statements over whether the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to navigation.
Located in the Gulf between Oman and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. The narrow waterway typically handles about 20% of the world’s oil traffic.
Oil prices rose on Monday morning as the latest cycle of attacks and counter-attacks reignited fears of further disruption to flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
international benchmark crude oil Futures for September delivery traded 4% higher at $79.02 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate Futures for August delivery rose 4.1% to $74.27.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, “The era of one-sided deals is over. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.” Said In a social media post on Sunday.
Ghalibaf’s comments were posted alongside an image of Article 5 of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which deals with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US and Iran had agreed to continue peace talks, but said the ceasefire established in last month’s peace deal had been dismantled.