US And Iran Exchange Strikes, Strait Of Hormuz Remains Open.

The United States is maintaining its stance that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, despite Iran’s assertion that it has closed the vital waterway amidst a resurgence of hostilities between the two nations.

The conflict, which escalated again this week, continued on Saturday after the US announced that it had launched strikes against more than 140 targets across Iran, in response to Iranian forces targeting a ship that was navigating through the strait using an unapproved route.

Iran has been endeavoring to exert control over the waterway, and in the early hours of Sunday, it declared that the strait would remain closed until further notice.

Furthermore, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initiated a wide-ranging assault on US bases and allies across the region on Sunday, marking a significant escalation in the scale of hostilities.

The IRGC claimed to have struck a US base in Jordan, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain all reported responding to missile and drone attacks from Iran.

The BBC has reached out to US Central Command (Centcom) for a statement regarding the attack in Jordan.

Notably, Qatar, which has been mediating ceasefire talks, had not been attacked since April, while the UAE had not been targeted since May.

On Sunday evening, Centcom announced another round of strikes against Iran, which commenced at 17:00 ET (22:00 BST) and aimed to “continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz”.

In the afternoon of the same day, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported that missiles were launched by the “enemy” towards Qeshm Island – a strategically crucial island in the Gulf, home to a significant IRGC base.

The renewed violence has jeopardized an interim ceasefire agreement signed last month, which aimed to reopen the Strait and ultimately bring a permanent end to the conflict.

Earlier in the week, US President Donald Trump declared that the Iranian attacks signified the end of the ceasefire, while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of violating the agreement.

However, Trump stated that talks would continue, and mediators were working to revive the process.

US media reported that Iran informed American officials that the attacks on tankers earlier in the week were a mistake and attributed the incident to a rogue internal group.

The latest hostilities were sparked after the IRGC claimed to have fired a naval cruise missile at a vessel attempting to sail along an unapproved route.

US Central Command (Centcom) stated that the IRGC “blatantly attacked” a Cyprus-flagged vessel, which was “unable to continue its journey” due to damage to the engine room.

A crew member from the MV GFS Galaxy ship was reported missing, and the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had been informed by military authorities that the crew of the vessel were forced to abandon ship and were in a lifeboat.

“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed,” Centcom wrote on X.

The statement was shared by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who wrote: “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.”

The IRGC said the US had targeted “a number of coastal bases and telecommunications towers on the southern coast”.

In response, Iran said its “first phase” of retaliation included strikes on the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, claiming to have destroyed the base’s command and control center and MQ9 drone hangars.

On Sunday, US Central Command reiterated that the Strait was open, warning that the US military was in position to ensure it remained free-flowing.

Earlier, Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also the country’s chief negotiator with the US, wrote on X that the “era of one-sided deals is OVER”.

He went on to say: “We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.”

The US insists that it will continue to take necessary actions to protect its interests and ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Iran maintains that it will not back down and will continue to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As the situation continues to unfold, the international community remains concerned about the potential consequences of an escalated conflict between the US and Iran.

The ongoing hostilities have significant implications for global trade, energy security, and regional stability, and it remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved.

In the midst of the escalating tensions, the US and Iran must navigate a complex web of diplomatic and military maneuvers to avoid a full-scale conflict.

The fate of the ceasefire agreement and the future of the region hang in the balance, as the world watches with bated breath to see how the situation will unfold.

The US and Iran must engage in constructive dialogue and work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict, lest the region be plunged into further instability and chaos.

The international community must also play a role in promoting diplomacy and encouraging a peaceful resolution to the conflict, rather than allowing the situation to escalate further.

Ultimately, the resolution of the conflict will require a concerted effort from all parties involved, as well as a commitment to finding a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution.

The world can only hope that the US and Iran will find a way to put aside their differences and work towards a brighter future for the region and the world at large.

The ongoing conflict serves as a stark reminder of the importance of diplomacy and the need for nations to work together to resolve their differences peacefully.

As the situation continues to evolve, it is imperative that the US and Iran prioritize diplomacy and work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict, rather than allowing the situation to escalate further.

The fate of the region and the world at large depends on it.

The US and Iran must take a step back from the brink of war and engage in constructive dialogue to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The world is watching, and the consequences of failure will be catastrophic.

It is time for the US and Iran to put aside their differences and work towards a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution.

The future of the region and the world at large depends on it.

The ongoing conflict between the US and Iran serves as a stark reminder of the importance of diplomacy and the need for nations to work together to resolve their differences peacefully.

The international community must come together to promote diplomacy and encourage a peaceful resolution to the conflict, rather than allowing the situation to escalate further.

The world can only hope that the US and Iran will find a way to put aside their differences and work towards a brighter future for the region and the world at large.

The US and Iran must engage in constructive dialogue and work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict, lest the region be plunged into further instability and chaos.

The fate of the ceasefire agreement and the future of the region hang in the balance, as the world watches with bated breath to see how the situation will unfold.

The US and Iran must prioritize diplomacy and work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict, rather than allowing the situation to escalate further.

The consequences of failure will be catastrophic, and the world cannot afford to let that happen.

It is time for the US and Iran to take a step back from the brink of war and engage in constructive dialogue to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.