The United States launched a third consecutive night of military strikes on Iran as President Donald Trump announced plans to reimpose a blockade on Iranian ports and introduce a 20 per cent levy on cargo passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The latest escalation comes despite Trump’s insistence that a diplomatic agreement with Tehran remains possible, even as hostilities between the two countries continue to intensify.
According to the United Arab Emirates, Iran attacked two commercial vessels in the vital waterway, leaving one crew member dead.
The U.S. military said its five-hour operation targeted several locations across Iran, including the coastal cities of Bushehr and Bandar Abbas, with the aim of degrading Tehran’s ability to launch attacks on commercial shipping.
In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced missile and drone strikes on Bahrain, targeting a residential building used by U.S. forces and other facilities.
“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow,” Trump said at the White House on Monday.
Trump’s decision to restore the Hormuz blockade follows a sharp escalation in U.S.-Iran hostilities, marking the most intense exchanges since the April ceasefire in the Middle East conflict and raising fresh doubts about efforts to secure a lasting peace.
Iran began restricting movement through the Strait of Hormuz after U.S.-Israeli attacks in February, prompting Washington to impose a blockade on Iranian ports. The restrictions were later eased after both sides reached a preliminary agreement in June.
On Monday, Trump declared that the United States was “taking over” the Strait of Hormuz and announced a 20 per cent fee on all cargo moving through the waterway, a move that drew ridicule from Iran and accusations of “piracy.”
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iranian ports along the strategic waterway would come under blockade from 2000 GMT on Tuesday.
Global oil prices surged by more than nine per cent on Monday over fears of renewed conflict and recorded further gains on Tuesday.
Iran also launched attacks against other U.S. allies in the region, including Jordan, which said it intercepted and destroyed four Iranian missiles.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the strikes targeted U.S. forces at an air base in Jordan and urged Jordanians to demand the removal of American military bases from their country.
The latest attacks followed Monday’s strikes by Iran on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Oman.
Tehran maintained that it was targeting only U.S. interests in the Gulf but warned that any Gulf country cooperating with Washington would be regarded as committing “an act of war.”
*Resumed Conflict*
The White House confirmed to AFP that Trump formally notified Congress last week that the United States had resumed military operations against Iran, giving the Pentagon an additional 60 days to continue operations without congressional approval.
Alongside the blockade, Trump also threatened to destroy Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified nuclear site near Natanz that Western intelligence believes is being used for undeclared uranium enrichment.
“Tell the Iranians to be ready. Let them know we’re coming (and) there’s not a damn thing they can do about it,” he told conservative radio host, Hugh Hewitt.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump declared that the United States would be known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT” and confirmed that a 20 per cent levy would be imposed on all cargo using the waterway.
He added that while Iranian ports would once again be blockaded, all other countries would continue to enjoy unrestricted access to the strait.
Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, mocked the announcement on X, saying Trump was “absolutely right” that whoever guarantees safe passage deserves compensation, but argued that Tehran would charge less.
“20% is of course too much,” he said.
Washington has consistently opposed Iran’s proposal to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that such charges violate international law.
*‘In crisis’*
Despite the renewed military campaign, Trump maintained on Monday that a negotiated settlement with Tehran remained achievable.
Earlier the same day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei said the June memorandum of understanding that formed the basis of negotiations and led to the lifting of the U.S. blockade was now “in crisis.”
Baqaei warned that Iran would no longer honour its obligations under the agreement if Washington abandoned its own commitments, although he said talks were continuing through mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman to prevent further escalation.
Bader Al-Saif, an associate fellow at Chatham House, said the growing intensity of the attacks was likely to delay any permanent agreement.
“Both sides want to end the impasse on their own terms, and they are increasingly finding it difficult to do so,” he said.
“Hence the return to and increase in the scale of attacks.”
