Fresh Flare-Up
Iran attacked US military targets in the Middle East on Monday in retaliation for the first American strikes on its territory in a month, in a fresh flare-up of the war that has engulfed the region. Tehran's Revolutionary Guards said they retaliated to Sunday's attack by striking two US military air bases with ballistic missiles in Washington-allied Jordan, causing "heavy damage". Jordan's army said it had intercepted eight missiles.
Tehran also said it targeted US military personnel at an air base in the United Arab Emirates and shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz. The flurry of attacks came after the United States said Sunday it had attacked Iranian rocket launchers on a small island in the strategic shipping lane. Washington said its attacks were aimed at preventing Iran from placing more sea mines in the strait.
"US forces took limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz," US Central Command wrote on X. "We are not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement.
Six months of war
The exchange of fire came shortly after the war hit the six-month mark, and at a time when hostilities had been subsiding. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has prioritised "economic warfare" over military strikes. Tehran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic sea lane through which one-fifth of the world's oil passed before hostilities began on February 28.
A US naval counterblockade of Iranian ports is squeezing petrol supplies in Iran during a shortfall in domestic production. Diplomatic efforts, spearheaded by mediators including Pakistan and Qatar, have tried for months to bring an end to the war. A ceasefire was agreed in April and a memorandum of understanding towards a final peace deal was signed in June, but no agreement has been forthcoming.
Supreme leader calls for unity
Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who took power after his father Ali Khamenei was killed at the start of the war, called on Muslim countries to unite against the United States and Israel. He has yet to be seen in public since his appointment, and authorities have not released any video or audio of him. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will host G20 counterparts this week to step up efforts to isolate Iran economically, widening secondary sanctions threats.