Overview
- U.S. central command said its forces launched a new wave of strikes that hit roughly 140 Iranian military sites on Sunday, using combat aircraft, drones and naval fire to target missile launchers, drone facilities, ammunition depots and coastal surveillance posts.
- Iran replied with missile and drone strikes against bases and sites in Gulf states that host U.S. forces, claimed attacks on two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and ordered the strait closed “until further notice,” and a Cypriot-flagged container ship was reported badly damaged with a crew member missing.
- The closure and renewed fighting put the 17 June memorandum and the 60-day truce at immediate risk, with Washington saying the agreement is over and Tehran accusing the United States of violating the deal.
- Iranian authorities reported dozens of casualties from recent strikes, and the fighting has disrupted commercial navigation through a waterway that normally carries about one fifth of seaborne traded oil, raising near-term energy and shipping risks for affected crews and coastal populations.
- Regional mediators including Qatar, Oman and Pakistan are pressing for de-escalation, and the next developments to watch are whether the strait reopens, if further U.S. or Iranian strikes follow, and how Gulf states hosting forces will respond to protect ports and civilians.