The region is witnessing a new wave of military escalation between Iran and the United States, with Washington striking sites belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps along the Iranian coast, particularly areas near the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran announced the beginning of its response to the American attacks.
Journalist Mahmoud al-Zaibaq said the strikes targeted several locations along Iran’s coast, beginning with Konarak and Chabahar in Sistan and Baluchestan province, continuing through Bandar Jask, Sirik and Hormuz Island, and extending to Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas and Bushehr.
He said the attacks hit sites connected to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as ports and commercial areas outside the strait, including Chabahar, which Iran uses for some of its commercial transactions.
Several explosions were also reported on Qeshm Island, including at least eight along its southern coastline. These areas could be used by the Revolutionary Guard to carry out attacks connected to the strait, particularly amid its continuing threats concerning shipping movements and its stated ability to target vessels passing without coordination with Iran.
The strikes followed an attack on Larak Island as part of an escalation targeting Iranian coastal areas overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, including sites that could be used to launch drones and missiles or operate small naval vessels belonging to the Revolutionary Guard.
In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced that it had targeted a US base in Jordan with ballistic missiles. The Jordanian Armed Forces said they intercepted and destroyed 10 missiles, while three fell in areas far from population centres, causing no injuries or loss of life.
A US source familiar with the matter told Al Jazeera that American forces intercepted the Iranian attacks, adding that they caused no major damage or injuries among US soldiers.
Earlier, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported the start of what it described as a “decisive operation” by the armed forces in response to the “American aggression”, saying missiles and drones had been launched from Iran. An Al Jazeera correspondent meanwhile reported missile interceptions over the city of Mafraq in eastern Jordan.
The Revolutionary Guard said the American attacks would lead to a tighter closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian authorities, the US strikes caused deaths and injuries, with some of the victims reportedly attending a wedding in the southern city of Sirik.
Targeting Iran’s Control System Around Hormuz
Commenting on the latest developments, military and strategic expert Brigadier General Elias Hanna said the United States had targeted areas stretching along the Iranian coast, which extends for around 2,500 kilometres.
He noted that maritime responsibility is divided between Iran’s regular military outside the Strait of Hormuz and the Revolutionary Guard within it.
Hanna said the purpose of the strikes was to target the Iranian system used to control the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, including radar installations, surveillance and tracking capabilities, and systems used to launch drones, missiles and cruise missiles.
He added that the United States is seeking to reduce Iran’s ability to impose control over the Strait of Hormuz and to secure maritime traffic through the region.
The military expert said the attack on Larak Island was connected to Iranian efforts to influence traditional shipping routes, explaining that the island contains two mine-laying platforms and that the US strike targeted capabilities associated with laying mines in an area used by older maritime routes.
He said US President Donald Trump is seeking to establish the Omani maritime route as the principal corridor for vessels, while Iran is attempting to impose different arrangements on shipping movements, including requiring ships to pass through Iranian territorial waters and be subjected to Iranian monitoring.
Hanna said oil is a central factor in US calculations and that Washington wants to guarantee the continued flow of oil from the Gulf amid the pressure Iran is facing from the maritime blockade and sanctions.
Could the Confrontation Expand?
The US strikes coincided with escalating threats from both sides. Iran pledged to respond to the attacks, while Washington warned that any Iranian retaliation would be met with a stronger response, amid US discussion of the possible closure of airspace across the Middle East.
Hanna believes that both the United States and Iran are still operating below the threshold of returning to a full-scale war.
He said Tehran is currently under major pressure as a result of the maritime blockade and sanctions, while Washington does not want to be drawn into an open war extending across Iranian territory.
According to the military expert, expanding the war into Iran itself could create major challenges for the United States, particularly when it comes to protecting its troops and bases across the region, amid what he described as shortages in American air defence munitions.
Regarding the nature of Iran’s response, Hanna said Tehran could focus on US military bases across the region, particularly in Jordan. He argued that attacks on such bases would send a message that Iran remains capable of reaching American forces despite their redeployment.
He added that any Iranian response could also seek to restore deterrence and demonstrate that the US military presence in the region does not provide complete protection to regional states, while the Strait of Hormuz would remain a central point in Iranian calculations.
Hanna said naval mines represent one of the tools Iran could use to disrupt shipping because of the strait’s geography, narrow navigation channels and water depth, making mine deployment an effective means of obstructing vessel movements.
Military expert Hassan Jouni, meanwhile, said the developments could be described as a new phase in the escalation between the United States and Iran, while stressing that what has occurred so far remains a wave of calculated strikes.
He did not rule out a broader confrontation, saying the direction of the conflict would depend on the scale of Iran’s response.
On 18 June 2026, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to maritime navigation. The agreement later faltered because of disagreements over its implementation and the security of the waterway.
Fighting resumed during July, before US Central Command announced on Tuesday that it had resumed strikes against targets inside Iran.
