Tensions in the Middle East remain at a critical level as the United States and Iran continue to exchange military strikes.
US forces announced early on Monday that they had completed a fresh wave of bombardments against "dozens of targets" in Iran for a second consecutive night, while stressing that they remain prepared to "guarantee freedom of navigation" through the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington says Tehran does not control.
According to a statement issued by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes targeted air defence systems, coastal surveillance radars, missile capabilities, drone infrastructure and small naval vessels.
Iran Says US Strikes Have Destroyed Diplomatic Progress
Iran strongly condemned the latest US attacks overnight, accusing Washington of destroying months of diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring stability in the region.
In a statement, Iran's foreign ministry said the United States had effectively undermined the understanding reached between the two countries in June and contributed to renewed instability in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran also accused Washington of interfering in arrangements Iran had sought to implement in the strategic waterway, which remains one of the world's most important routes for oil and gas shipments.
Hostilities between the two countries resumed on July 7 despite a preliminary agreement reached on June 17 that sought to end the conflict through negotiations. The understanding included provisions aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil normally passes.
Salvo of Iranian short-range ballistic missiles fired from Jam towards US forces in Bahrain just a few moments ago. pic.twitter.com/FxkGGeMCK3
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) July 13, 2026
Iran announced on Sunday that it was once again closing the strait until further notice and has insisted that vessels use routes operating under Iranian oversight.
Revolutionary Guards Claim Attacks on US Bases
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck US military targets in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, according to state media.
The official IRNA news agency reported attacks on Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, a US drone command and control facility in Bahrain, and the Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al Jaber air bases in Kuwait.
Regional authorities reported intercepting incoming missiles and drones, while Bahrain sounded missile-warning sirens and Kuwait said its air defences were responding to hostile aerial targets.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that at least one person was killed and four others injured in a US strike on the southwestern Iranian city of Mahshahr.
The latest exchanges mark a further escalation in a conflict that has increasingly threatened regional security, global shipping and energy markets. Oil prices rose sharply amid fears of prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
Source: CNA
