US Expands Iran Strikes as Tehran Targets Regional Bases, Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate

The conflict between the United States and Iran has escalated further after Washington expanded its military strikes across the Islamic Republic, while Tehran responded with attacks targeting locations in several Middle Eastern countries.

The renewed fighting comes after a weeks-long pause following an agreement reached in June, with both sides now locked in a confrontation that has heightened concerns over regional stability and global energy supplies.

Oil prices rose to a one-month high as tensions intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passed before the conflict began.

Following the collapse of the ceasefire arrangement, Iran reimposed restrictions on the strategic waterway, while the United States responded by increasing pressure on Iran’s maritime access and expanding its military operations.

While earlier US attacks had largely focused on areas around the Strait of Hormuz, Monday’s strikes targeted provinces in central and northern Iran, according to Iranian state media and local officials.

The affected areas reportedly host military installations and air defence systems.

In Bushehr Province, home to Iran’s only operational civilian nuclear power plant, local officials confirmed that several locations in Bushehr city were hit.

Bushehr Governor Mohammad Mozaffari told state news agency IRNA that “several locations in Bushehr city were hit by the American enemy’s projectiles.”

In East Azerbaijan Province, crisis management official Majid Farshi said one person was killed and several others injured following an attack.

Despite the escalation, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said diplomatic communication with the United States through mediators was continuing.

“Ideas have been conveyed to us by certain mediators,” he said during a press conference in Tehran.

The conflict has also intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, where a vessel was abandoned after catching fire following an attack, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

UKMTO said the ship was struck by an unidentified projectile, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel. The sailors were later rescued by a tugboat, while the burning vessel remained adrift.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had earlier claimed that two oil tankers attempting to pass through the strait “exploded and were brought to a halt,” according to a statement reported by Iranian state-linked media.

The developments have raised fresh concerns over international shipping and energy markets, given the importance of the waterway to global oil transportation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on other countries to contribute more towards protecting international shipping routes.

“The United States will do and continue to do what it needs to, to protect global shipping, but other countries need to begin to step up and provide, whether it’s hardware or finances, to help carry that burden,” Rubio said.

The latest escalation followed the deaths of three US service members and one missing personnel reported by Washington.

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), two American troops were killed during Iranian missile and drone attacks on Jordan, while another died during an operation involving unexploded ordnance in northern Iraq.

US President Donald Trump said the latest strikes against Iran were carried out in response to the deaths of American personnel.

The reported fatalities bring the number of confirmed US military deaths since the start of the conflict to 17, according to US officials.

Iran’s Health Ministry earlier reported that at least 50 people had been killed and more than 500 injured in recent fighting.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Monday that they carried out attacks against targets in Syria, Jordan and Kuwait.

In Syria, the Guards claimed responsibility for an attack on a military facility in the Al-Tanf region, where US forces had previously operated.

In Jordan, Iranian forces claimed to have targeted US military aircraft at Aqaba Airport using ballistic missiles, while also claiming an attack on an early-warning radar system in Kuwait.

Kuwaiti authorities said their air defence systems were responding to drone attacks, while Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported that air raid sirens had sounded and advised residents to move to safe locations.

With military operations expanding across the region, international efforts continue to prevent the conflict from widening further, as diplomatic channels remain open through intermediaries.

AFP