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Tensions between Iran and the United States rose sharply on Sunday after Tehran announced the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while Washington rejected the claim, insisting that commercial shipping continued to move freely through the vital international waterway.
The latest dispute comes amid new military confrontations between the two countries, and fresh exchanges threaten the fragile agreement reached last month to halt the wider Middle East conflict.
The escalation occurred after Iran’s attack on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The ship caught fire during the incident, forcing the crew to abandon ship.
Before hostilities erupted with the surprise joint US-Israel attack on Iran on February 28, ships moved freely through the waterway. However, Tehran now insists that it controls access to the strait, a position Washington vehemently rejects.
Announcing the latest decision, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard stated, “After this incident… the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until American intervention in the region ends,” according to state news agency IRNA.
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected the announcement, insisting that maritime traffic remained uninterrupted.
In a statement posted on
He added that US forces were “positioned and prepared to guarantee” freedom of navigation, and stressed, “Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing.”
This strategic waterway, through which most of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas exports pass, has increasingly become a focal point in the confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader reportedly described control of the strait as more valuable than “dozens of atomic bombs,” and underscored its strategic importance for the Islamic Republic.
Iranian authorities said they targeted two vessels in the strait, alleging that the vessels ignored designated navigation routes and “violated regulations,” according to IRNA.
The attacks prompted a large-scale US military response, with American forces launching what officials described as the third wave of strikes against Iranian targets in a week.
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The US military said about 140 targets were attacked during the operation.
Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask, Qeshm Island and parts of Khuzestan Province, with one soldier reportedly killed in Jask.
Speaking to CNN, US President Donald Trump defended the operation, saying, “we hit them very hard last night,” while expressing frustration that this latest attack came when negotiations appeared close to producing a deal.
“They gave up everything, and suddenly two hours later they attacked a ship with a drone,” Trump said.
Iran responded quickly, with explosions and air raid sirens reported in Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, according to local authorities and AFP journalists.
Qatar confirmed that three people suffered injuries during the Iranian attack, while the UAE said it detected incoming missiles but later clarified that none had entered its airspace.
Kuwait also announced efforts to intercept the projectiles, while Jordan confirmed that three Iranian missiles landed on its territory.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard later claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Oman, a country that remains largely outside the conflict.
According to the Guard, they destroyed “a logistics support center for naval vessels and a refueling facility for a US aircraft carrier in the port of Duqm”.
The attack prompted Omani authorities to summon Iran’s ambassador and formally protest the attack — an unusual diplomatic move for Muscat, which has traditionally maintained balanced relations with Tehran and Washington.
This development came just hours after Oman hosted Iran’s Foreign Minister for discussions on the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Sunday’s attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship left an Indian sailor missing, according to Indian authorities.
Oman also confirmed it had rescued 23 crew members of another commercial vessel affected by the violence.
Although Tehran insisted that its forces only fired “warning shots”, the US military accused Iran of “blatantly” attacking the ship.
British Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the crew abandoned the ship and entered a lifeboat about 17 kilometers (10 miles) east of Oman.
The new hostilities followed several days of maritime confrontation and increasingly hostile rhetoric from both sides.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed revenge for the killing of his father and predecessor in the early stages of the conflict, saying Iran had prepared a list of individuals to be targeted.
Trump, on Saturday, warned that any assassination attempt against him would result in the United States “completely eliminating” Iran.
Although the ceasefire agreement has failed, diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes.
Pakistan, which has been involved in mediation efforts, urged restraint during a telephone conversation between its Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, and his Iranian counterpart.
Calling for an end to the escalation, Dar stressed that “Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable paths to resolving disputes and achieving lasting peace.”
