United States Executes New Strikes on Iran to Diminish Military Effectiveness

The United States has confirmed a further series of pre-dawn military strikes against Iran, as both nations persist in trading attacks amid disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

On Sunday, U.S. Central Command, responsible for overseeing military operations across the Middle East, stated that the most recent barrage was intended to reduce Iran’s offensive capabilities.

The command also highlighted President Donald Trump’s authorization of the operations.

“At 5 p.m. ET today [21:00 GMT], U.S. Central Command forces began conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade its capacity to target civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely navigating the Strait of Hormuz,” the command said in a concise statement.

“The Commander in Chief has directed these strikes to ensure Iranian forces are held accountable.”

Iranian state media reported explosions in locations adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz, including Sirik, Qeshm Island, Jask, and the region west of Bandar Abbas.

The governorate of Hormozgan province, which borders the strait, has indicated that no civilian casualties have been recorded to date.

The Sunday operations represent the most recent escalation in hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, which commenced on July 7.

In just the past week, three rounds of attacks have occurred, including Saturday night, when U.S. Central Command reported striking approximately 140 Iranian military targets.

Those targets allegedly encompassed Iranian facilities for drones, missiles, ammunition, surveillance, and naval operations.

Iran has retaliated with counterstrikes against U.S. military installations throughout the Middle East, including bases in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman.

The ongoing exchanges have raised further doubts about a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the U.S. and Iran last month, which pledged an “immediate and permanent” cessation of hostilities.

The memorandum was intended to serve as a foundation for future negotiations as the two parties sought to de-escalate a conflict initiated by the U.S. and Israel on February 28.

However, a central point of contention emerged over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime corridor through which nearly 20 percent of global oil and natural gas transit passes.

Since the outbreak of war in February, global fuel prices have surged amid Iran’s restrictions on commerce through the waterway.

Under the memorandum’s 14 provisions, Iran was obligated to make its “best efforts” to permit fee-free commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz for a period of 60 days.

The agreement also outlined a framework for Iran to “engage in dialogue” with Oman—the other nation bordering the strait—to “define future administration and maritime services” within the channel.

In recent weeks, Iran has launched drones at numerous container ships and tankers traversing the strait, asserting in certain instances that the vessels disregarded warnings regarding unauthorized routes.

Tehran regards the issue as a sovereign matter, given that the Strait of Hormuz lies within its territorial waters.

The Trump administration, however, has characterized those drone attacks as a breach of the memorandum and has responded militarily—first over two days in late June, and on four occasions in the past week, including Sunday.

For example, U.S. Central Command cited an assault on the Cyprus-registered vessel M/V GFS Galaxy as justification for Saturday’s intense strikes. Although the drone attacks have largely been non-lethal, the incident involving the Galaxy reportedly resulted in a missing crew member.

On Saturday, Iran declared that it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz to traffic, while the U.S. has maintained that the waterway remains open.

“Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing,” U.S. Central Command posted early Sunday.

In a Friday social media post, Trump stated that he considers the ceasefire established by the memorandum to be “over,” yet he also signaled that bilateral discussions would proceed.

Prior to Sunday’s latest U.S. strikes, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged both parties “to exercise maximum restraint” and “avoid further escalatory action.”

He and UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric advocated for the continuation of negotiations and the restoration of navigation in the Hormuz Strait. According to UN estimates, approximately 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the waterway due to the conflict.

Amid concerns that the recent tit-for-tat attacks could rekindle regional conflict, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei issued a response urging regional nations to withdraw support for U.S. military operations.

He directed his message to Dujarric, the UN spokesperson.

“You should urge the concerned nations to immediately stop permitting the United States to exploit their territories as launchpads for aggression against Iran,” Baqaei stated.

“It is wholly irresponsible to censure Iran for defending its sovereignty while failing to hold the aggressors accountable for their blatant violations of international law.”

He contended that U.S. military bases in the Middle East constitute legitimate targets, citing Iran’s “inherent right to self-defense under international law.”

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