U.S. and Iran Exchange Strikes as Hormuz Standoff Escalates

The United States military launched a third consecutive round of strikes against Iran overnight Saturday, bringing the total number of targets hit during three waves to more than 300, as the two countries' fragile ceasefire agreement appeared to collapse and Iran attacked American interests and facilities across the Gulf region.

U.S. Central Command announced it had struck approximately 140 Iranian targets in the latest salvo — far more than the previous two rounds — after Iran attacked another commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Over nearly a week of intensifying bombardment, American fighter jets and warships hit military assets including coastal surveillance, logistics, communications, and missile, drone and naval systems, with Iranian authorities reporting strikes in at least 10 provinces, mainly in southern Iran near the strategic waterway.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and said it had struck two vessels that attempted to transit using what it called an "unapproved route." Iran also launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. interests in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Oman. Kuwait's army said a drilling platform owned by Kuwait Oil Company was struck by a "hostile" drone, injuring one worker, and that three border posts were damaged.

By Sunday morning, CENTCOM said the waterway was "open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway," though the situation on the ground remained disputed.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Sunday that the ceasefire signed by the two sides in June had "broken down" and that "all options are on the table."

"Regardless of whether you're party to some conflict, you cannot start shooting in all directions, attacking your neighbors, attacking civilian shipping, civilian infrastructure, throwing mines in international waterways," Waltz said. "Iran is not living up to" the preliminary memorandum of understanding, he added.

Iran accused the United States of violating the ceasefire terms first. Iran's navy said ships were fired on after they "attempted to move along the unapproved route and ignored our warnings."

On Wednesday, President Trump had declared the ceasefire "over," saying he did not want to deal with Iran anymore. The White House nevertheless said it had not abandoned negotiations entirely, emphasizing that Iran could not be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon.

One U.S. strike hit the perimeter of Iran's only nuclear power plant in Bushehr province without damaging it, according to Iranian authorities. Other strikes reached deep into Iranian territory, including a railway bridge in the northern province of Golestan.

The crisis prompted immediate reaction online. Rina Shah, posting on X as @RinainDC, argued that Iran had "torpedoed its own ceasefire by hitting tankers in the Strait of Hormuz" and that "US strikes are the necessary reply: free navigation isn't optional."

CENTCOM called Iran's attacks on commercial vessels "unjustified" and "perilous."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the escalation from both sides and called on Washington and Tehran to "urgently resume negotiations and to address outstanding issues through diplomacy."

Analysts at the International Crisis Group said neither side could deliver a decisive military blow "at an acceptable price" and that both would ultimately have to return to diplomacy, but that each was currently trying to enforce its own interpretation of the ceasefire agreement. The crisis has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, as the strait is a critical chokepoint through which a significant share of the world's oil supply passes.