Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz After US Strikes Military Sites

Strait of Hormuz Closure and CENTCOM Strikes

Over the course of three nights, more than 300 targets were struck to degrade Iran’s ability to interfere with commercial shipping. The US actions came in direct response to Iranian forces opening fire on commercial vessels in the strait, leaving one crew member missing. Iran’s powerful parliament speaker and peace negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, defended Tehran’s position on Sunday.

“The era of one-sided deals is over.”

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and peace negotiator

Ghalibaf posted an image of Article 5 of a memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran last month, which governs the reopening of the transit corridor. Tensions had already frayed when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck three commercial vessels, including a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker off the coast of Oman, prompting the initial US military response and the collapse of a brief April ceasefire.

US Strikes Iran After IRGC Closes Strait of Hormuz and Breaks Ceasefire

Iranian Retaliation Targets Gulf Nations and US Bases

In response to the American bombing campaign, Tehran widened the conflict by mounting missile and drone attacks across five Gulf nations on Sunday, accusing them of hosting US military operations and airspace. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that the IRGC claimed a heavy and surprise attack on logistics support centres and refuelling platforms at the port of Duqm in Oman, stating the facilities were destroyed.

Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz as U.S. Central Command Denies Blockage

Kuwait and Bahrain also absorbed wave attacks. News18 reported that CENTCOM completed its eighth consecutive night of massive bombing campaigns inside Iran, striking nuclear facilities such as Fordow and Natanz. In asymmetric retaliation, the Iranian army utilized explosive kamikaze drones to strike a Patriot air defence system, an ammunition depot, and a radar site at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, alongside infrastructure hits at Camp Udairi and local oil and desalination plants.

Widespread Regional Toll and Infrastructure Damage

The broader military campaign, which incorporates earlier operations like Israel and the US launching Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury on February 28, has taken a heavy human and material toll. CENTCOM recorded 13 US soldiers killed in the regional conflict, while Israeli tracking reported 12 IDF soldiers and 23 civilians killed, alongside at least 7,693 injuries from ballistic missile barrages since late February.

Kuwait Infrastructure Damaged as US and Iran Escalate Strait of Hormuz Strikes

Inside Iran, the impacts of the continuous air campaigns remain severe. State broadcaster IRIB noted that US air attacks hit the outskirts of Veysian in Lorestan province, a military base in Khondab, and five distinct cities in Bushehr province, including Asaluyeh, Dir, and Tangestan. While Tehran reported that overall casualties and structural damage figures remain under official review, the total devastation from months of strikes has left core regime installations and regional logistics deeply strained.