Iran and the United States have traded attacks for the first time in weeks, after US forces struck Iranian rocket launchers in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
This marked their first military action in a month and broke a lull in fighting in the war that has lasted more than six months.
Meanwhile, Iranian state television showed what it said were ballistic missiles being fired by Iran at US bases in Jordan, after Iran earlier vowed to retaliate.
Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted eight missiles that penetrated the country’s airspace early Monday.
The military said the projectiles were neutralised before they could pose any threat to civilians or property, according to the state-run Petra news agency.
US military officials disputed Iran’s claim that the latest American strikes were an act of aggression, calling them a “limited, precise action” against what they said were Iranian minelaying forces.
Semiofficial news outlets in Iran reported sounds of explosions near Larak island on the Strait of Hormuz, as well as casualties among Iranian forces and civilians.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that the US strike “was a strategic and deadly mistake” by the Trump administration and vowed retaliation, according to a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.
The last time the US military confirmed targeting Iran was on July 29, when it announced a “heavy wave of strikes” on dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets including coastal surveillance and defense sites.
Six months into the conflict, the two nations have been locked in battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping route that’s become the center of regional tensions and diplomatic efforts.
The waterway is critical to global energy supplies, with Tehran asserting its claimed right to manage it with regular strikes on vessels, and the US determined to keep traffic flowing by guiding ships and a military blockade of Iranian ports.
The latest exchange came just days after US President Donald Trump declared the strait free from mines.
“Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed,” Trump said last Tuesday.
It targeted two Iranian rocket launchers on Iran’s Larak Island, where it observed Iranian forces preparing to launch rockets with mines into the strait, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The military took “limited, precise action” against Iran’s “minelaying forces posing an imminent threat” in the critical waterway, CENTCOM later said in a post on X.
“Iran created the threat and the US military eliminated it to protect civilian mariners, commercial shipping, and the free flow of global commerce.”
Half a year after the war began, talks between the two countries have stalled, with the White House saying Thursday that there are no ongoing negotiations.
But Iran and Oman continue discussions over a proposed arrangement to restore maritime traffic through the strait.
Regional mediators, including Qatar, have backed the talks, while Iranian officials have repeatedly linked the future of navigation through the strait to broader discussions with Washington and regional security developments.
Trump in recent weeks has focused on increasing economic pain for Iran rather than military actions, claiming last week that the US’ financial strength will move the country “toward a very big victory.”
The US Treasury Department has threatened damaging new sanctions on countries that refuse to cut economic ties with Iran, calling it an “economic D-Day.”
Oil prices jumped Sunday after the US launched the strikes on Iran.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 2.8% to $90.57 (£66.87) a barrel, while US crude rose 2.7% to $85.64 (£63.23 ) a barrel.
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