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

The military confrontation between Washington and Tehran intensified on July 12, 2026, as U.S. forces carried out new strikes on Iranian territory. According to Al Jazeera, Tehran responded by targeting U.S. sites across the region and launching attacks in several Gulf states. These strikes resulted in three people being injured by falling shrapnel in Qatar, with further attacks reported in Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan.

The current volatility follows a period of extreme instability. According to Foreign Affairs, the U.S. and Israel launched a war on Iran in late February, which lasted 40 days and was followed by two months of a shaky cease-fire. While the Islamic Republic faced internal turmoil and a January crackdown that killed thousands of protesters, it has emerged from the conflict with a new strategic lever: control over the Strait of Hormuz. In late April, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that the strait had become Iran’s economic nuclear weapon.

The Strait of Hormuz and the “Economic Nuclear Weapon”

The IRGC navy declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on July 11, 2026, according to Al Jazeera. This waterway is critical for global energy markets. The U.S. is now demanding that Iran publicly state the corridor is open and pledge that ships will no longer be attacked, according to senior U.S. officials cited by AP News.

Tehran has resisted these demands. A diplomat from Iran at the United Nations told reporters that any activity in the strait, including demining or opening operations, rests exclusively with Iran, according to AP News. This desire for exclusive control is echoed by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who stated that the strait would not return to its previous condition and that Iran would charge fees in return for the services we provide, as reported by Foreign Affairs.

Collapse of the 14-Point MOU and Trump’s Response

The fragile peace was managed by a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) that codified cease-fires in Iran and Lebanon, affirmed that Iran would not pursue nuclear weapons, and pledged the end of the U.S. naval blockade, according to Foreign Affairs. The deal included a 60-day window for safe commercial passage without charges while the postwar administration of the strait was negotiated.

That agreement has now fractured. President Donald Trump used social media on Friday to declare the interim ceasefire deal OVER!, according to AP News. While U.S. officials reaffirmed a commitment to continue talks, Trump responded to recent ship strikes with more powerful counterattacks to ensure there were consequences regardless of which Iranian faction was responsible, AP News reported.

Power Struggles and Internal Iranian Factions

The difficulty in maintaining a deal is compounded by a leadership vacuum in Tehran. AP News reports that a power struggle is currently playing out after U.S. and Israeli strikes at the start of the war killed Ali Khamenei.

Senior U.S. officials told AP News that the resumption of strikes this week was the work of a rogue faction of Iranian hard-liners attempting to sabotage the ceasefire. These officials suggested that some Iranian leaders even admitted to their U.S. counterparts that the ship strikes were a mistake and expressed a hope to continue negotiations despite the actions of the hard-line faction.

Contradicting Claims on Strike Locations

There is a discrepancy regarding the location of recent military actions. Iranian state media reported that strikes hit military headquarters in the city of Konarak and Bushehr province, according to Al Jazeera. However, Al Jazeera also notes that the U.S. denied carrying out attacks in those specific southern areas.

The broader strategic outlook remains uncertain. While some sources suggest a ceasefire could be revived during a lull in fighting, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that the US-Iran escalation threatens the recovery of oil supplies, according to Al Jazeera. The U.S. continues to press for a public declaration regarding the Strait of Hormuz, while the IRGC maintains its closure of the waterway.

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