US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran “hard” after the two countries exchanged fire for the first time in weeks, raising fears of renewed major hostilities as the conflict enters its sixth month.
The two sides remain at an impasse, with Iran maintaining the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz while the United States continues its counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
The latest escalation followed US strikes on Iran’s Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. Washington said the operation targeted Iranian rocket launchers to prevent Tehran from laying mines in the key shipping route. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US military targets in the Middle East.
“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump said, according to a Fox News reporter who spoke with him briefly. “There will be a response.”
Iranian state media reported that three people were killed and several others wounded in the US attack on Larak. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also said a ballistic missile attack targeting two US air bases in Jordan caused “heavy damage.”
Trump, however, said all but one of the missiles fired at US forces had been intercepted, with the remaining missile determined not to pose a threat. Jordan’s army said it had intercepted eight missiles without identifying their origin.
Iran also said it targeted US personnel at an air base in the United Arab Emirates and shot down an American drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Abu Dhabi confirmed that a drone had been intercepted over its waters but described claims that Al Minhad Air Base was targeted as “baseless.”
Iran’s armed forces also warned neighbouring countries against allowing the United States to use their territory for attacks.
The tensions also affected commercial shipping after a tanker leaving the Strait of Hormuz was reportedly hit by three “unknown projectiles” near Oman, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. No casualties or environmental damage were reported.
US Maintains Economic Pressure
The latest exchange came after weeks of relative calm, during which the Trump administration shifted greater attention towards economic pressure against Tehran.
Trump earlier described Iran as a “Failed Nation”, claiming its military had been weakened, its finances were deteriorating and its leadership was in disarray.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also vowed to maintain the pressure campaign against Iran, saying a potential turning point could come “within weeks or months.”
Iran, meanwhile, has used the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as an economic pressure tool, disrupting global markets and contributing to higher prices. Before the war, about one-fifth of the world’s oil passed through the strategic waterway.
Strait Remains Major Flashpoint
Despite the reduced traffic through the strait, Trump has claimed that the US Navy has “total control” of the waterway, while Washington said it had completed clearing explosives from the area.
Iran has rejected the claim and maintained that it controls the sea lane. The Revolutionary Guards alleged that an oil tanker caught fire near the strait after hitting two mines while attempting to use what it called an “illegal route.”
The US military dismissed the allegation as “disinformation,” saying no ships had hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Efforts by mediators to end the six-month conflict have so far failed, with an earlier truce and memorandum of understanding collapsing.
Iran has continued to urge Washington to return to the previous agreement. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that “the solution is completely clear and straightforward: the United States must return to its commitments.”
“In that case, everything can be put back on the right track,” he added.
Source: AFP
