U.S. and Iranian military forces traded intense missile and drone attacks over the weekend, with Iranian Revolutionary Guards reporting strikes on U.S. military facilities across the Gulf and announcing that the Strait of Hormuz had again been closed to shipping. Tehran said its latest operations included hits on sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, the destruction of radar equipment in Oman, and strikes on fuel tanks and ammunition storage at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan.
The Revolutionary Guards described the actions as part of a broader response to recent U.S. operations. The pace and geographic reach of Iran's strikes marked a clear intensification in the ongoing cycle of attacks and counter-attacks, which centres on Tehran's efforts to exert control over vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. military officials said their forces carried out strikes on Iranian air-defence systems, coastal radar installations, missile and drone capabilities, and small boat assets. Those operations employed aircraft, naval vessels and unmanned systems during missions conducted on Sunday.
Markets reacted to the heightened confrontation. Brent crude rose 4.3% to $79.31 a barrel on Monday, reflecting concerns about disruptions to a waterway that previously carried about one-fifth of the worlds oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. The Revolutionary Guards said the only route to restoring regular traffic through the strait was an end to U.S. military interventions in the waterway, adding that "continued interference could lead to greater incidents in the global oil and gas sector."
U.S. officials reported that roughly 20 vessels had been escorted through the strait in the prior 24 hours, though commercial ship-tracking services showed little traffic. The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center reiterated guidance that, despite significant security threats, an "expanded" southern route near Oman remained available for two-way traffic.
On the political and diplomatic front, the recent fighting has clouded prospects for a recently signed interim arrangement between Washington and Tehran that was intended to reopen the strait and defer the wider war for another 60 days of negotiations. The renewed exchanges of force have introduced new uncertainty into that timeline.
In a brief phone interview on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump described the strikes on Iran, saying: "Were beating them up."
Irans top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, posted on X: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking."
Iran said it had taken steps to assert tighter control over the strait. It claimed late on Saturday that it had closed the waterway after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel sailing along an unauthorised route, and on Sunday said it had disabled a second vessel. Irans newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority stated that passage through the strait was not currently possible because of "recent illegal movements of the United States military forces in the region," adding that permits would be issued "as soon as stability and calm are restored."
The U.S. government revoked a licence that had waived sanctions on the sale of Iranian crude earlier in the week, a move it said followed prior attacks on shipping. U.S. officials maintained that their forces were positioned to protect freedom of navigation in the area despite what they called "aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations" from Iran.
Military statements from both sides outlined a broad set of strikes and counter-strikes. U.S. Central Command reported that U.S. forces had hit 140 Iranian military targets on Saturday, and said more than 300 targets had been struck over three nights during that period "to degrade Irans ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the strait."
Separately, Iran's Revolutionary Guards asserted that they had destroyed a command-and-control centre and drone hangars in Jordan, targeted a U.S. radar site and subsequently rocket launcher systems in Kuwait, attacked aircraft carrier support and refuelling platforms in Oman, and destroyed a jet maintenance centre and command facility in Qatar. The Guards also listed operations that included hits on U.S.-linked logistics sites and fuel storage.
The immediate effects of the strikes have been felt in energy markets and shipping operations, with higher fuel prices highlighted as politically sensitive for U.S. leadership ahead of congressional elections in November. The Revolutionary Guards said the strait closure and their broader campaign were intended to force a halt to U.S. military interventions in the waterway, while U.S. officials stressed continued efforts to keep traffic moving and protect commercial mariners.
At the time of these reports, the situation remained fluid and the future of the interim agreement and navigation through the strait uncertain. Both sides framed their actions as responses to prior moves by the other, while commercial traffic and energy markets absorbed the immediate economic repercussions.