U.S., Iran exchange strikes as tensions rise around Strait of Hormuz
Iran fired missiles at two U.S. air bases in Jordan overnight after American forces struck targets on Iran's Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first direct exchange of fire between the two countries in about a month, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The Iranian launch followed a U.S. operation on Sunday against Larak, a small island near the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
U.S. Central Command said it had carried out a "limited, precise" strike against minelaying forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to CENTCOM, the units posed an imminent threat to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards later said a supertanker had been hit by two naval mines in the southern part of the strait, causing a fire and bringing the vessel to a halt. The U.S. military denied the claim.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of tension in the conflict. Under normal conditions, the waterway carries about one-fifth of global crude oil and gas shipments. Tehran has maintained that the strait will reopen only under Iranian supervision.
Despite the renewed military exchange, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran continued to favor a negotiated settlement.
Speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Kyrgyzstan, Pezeshkian said continuing the war was not in the interests of Iran, the region or the wider international community.
Washington has meanwhile increased economic pressure on Tehran, including through secondary sanctions targeting foreign entities involved in purchases of Iranian oil.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking to reporters during a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in North Carolina, said the measures were putting significant pressure on Iran's economy. He argued that the latest military activity reflected the impact of those restrictions.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump posted two AI-generated videos on social media depicting explosions at Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub. No attack on the island took place.
Vice President JD Vance later told reporters that Trump's post was intended to send a message to Tehran.
The latest exchange follows several months of intermittent fighting and unsuccessful efforts to secure a lasting settlement.
Trump halted an intensive U.S. bombing campaign in April under a ceasefire, while the two sides agreed in June on an interim framework for further negotiations. Fighting later resumed, including another period of U.S. strikes in July.
Trump has previously said U.S. objectives include dismantling Iran's nuclear program and limiting Tehran's ability to attack regional adversaries.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that U.S. authorities had proposed barring six UAE branches of Egypt’s Banque Misr from correspondent access to U.S. financial institutions over transactions Washington said were linked to Iran, while Tehran urged other countries to reject the measures.
