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ARCHIVE – Oil tankers and cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Altaf Qadri/AP/dpa/Archive image
Keystone
The U.S. and Iran exchanged heavy fire for the second night in a row – causing the conflict to escalate dangerously despite the ceasefire that has been in place for two months.
Iran’s military responded to new U.S. attacks, according to its own statements, by completely closing the Strait of Hormuz and launching counterattacks on targets in the Gulf states of Bahrain and Kuwait.
Any ship attempting to pass through the strait, which is vital for oil and gas trade, will be attacked, according to a statement by the Iranian military leadership broadcast on state radio. Two ships are reported to have been fired upon, according to the broadcast.
Mutual denials followed. The U.S. regional command Centcom posted on X: “Commercial ships continue to enter and exit the Strait of Hormuz tonight.” Iran’s state media called this claim false. The U.S. military later ceased its renewed attacks, as the regional command Centcom announced early this morning on the platform X.
It stated that military reconnaissance facilities, communication systems, and air defense positions across the country had been attacked, as they posed a threat to U.S. forces and international merchant ships. The U.S. military remains vigilant and ready for combat, the statement added.
Iranian state media reported explosions in the vicinity of several port cities along the southern coast. According to the reports, two people were injured. The news agency Irna and radio reports stated that explosions were observed near the cities of Minab and Sirik. Reports also indicated that additional detonations occurred on the island of Qeshm and in the port city of Bandar Abbas.
There were also reportedly several attacks near the Iranian capital, Tehran, during the night. Iranian state radio reported explosions in the commuter city of Karaj, which lies just a few kilometers from the metropolis of Tehran. Combat drones were reportedly sighted further west of Karaj. No further details were available at first.
Just overnight on Wednesday, the U.S. military had attacked air defense systems, ground control stations, and radar installations in Iran in response to the downing of a combat helicopter. Iran subsequently attacked U.S. bases in the Gulf region.
In response to the renewed U.S. attacks, Iran’s armed forces said they had once again struck targets in the Gulf states of Bahrain and Kuwait. According to the army, air defenses were deployed in Kuwait. As a result, aviation authorities temporarily closed the airspace to civilian aviation early in the morning.
Sirens also sounded in Bahrain, according to the Ministry of the Interior. Residents were urged to remain calm and seek the nearest safe location.
In Bahrain, the regional headquarters of the U.S. Navy was attacked with kamikaze drones, according to a statement by the Iranian army broadcast by state radio. The targets were reportedly air defense systems. Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, the country’s elite force, stated that in addition to a U.S. air base in Bahrain, they also attacked two bases in Kuwait. A total of 18 targets were reportedly struck.
The two Gulf states are home to key U.S. bases located just a few hundred kilometers from Iran. They have recently been the target of multiple Iranian missile and drone strikes.
According to a media report, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Tehran of a particularly serious breach of the current ceasefire. It is “the most frequently violated ceasefire in the history of the world,” a reporter for the U.S. network Fox News quoted the president as saying in a conversation. It remained unclear exactly which incident Trump was referring to with this accusation.
Trump did hold out the prospect of an end to the bombings in the near future, Fox News reporter Trey Yingst reported on the X platform. However, if Tehran does not sign a framework agreement to end the war, “we will bomb them into the ground,” Trump reportedly threatened.
Officially, the Iranian military headquarters justified the alleged complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz with a “changed security situation” following the renewed U.S. attacks. All ships are prohibited from passing through the strait. This also applies to oil tankers and cargo ships, it said.
Shortly after the war began in late February, the Islamic Republic had largely brought traffic in the strait to a standstill through threats and attacks on ships. Tehran recently emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz was not blocked. In reality, however, shipping companies had to coordinate with Iranian contact points and were subsequently only allowed to pass through a corridor near the Iranian coast. Iran charges high fees for this. According to Tehran, several ships had recently passed through the strait.
In mid-April, the U.S. imposed a naval blockade against Iran to cut off the country’s oil revenues, among other things. For Iran, oil exports are the most important economic pillar—and for the global economy, the Strait of Hormuz is of great importance as an export route for oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertilizer. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the new attacks are not about restarting the war. Rather, the aim is to create conditions for an agreement with Iran.
Israeli Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz believes that without a swift agreement, further escalation is likely. “But escalation alone is unlikely to lead to any significant concessions on Iran’s part,” he wrote on X. Ultimately, no military operation, “whether limited or extensive, short or long, will force Iran to accept an agreement on U.S. terms.”
If Trump truly wants an agreement, he must at least address some of Iran’s core demands, Citrinowicz wrote. “If he is not prepared to do so, he must brace himself for a protracted confrontation rather than a negotiated solution.”
11.06.2026, 08:29
