WASHINGTON -- The US launched a new wave of strikes against Iran early on July 13, following up their air assaults the previous day on areas near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz that it said were in response to Tehran's attacks on shipping in the waterway.
"US Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM said in a statement.
"The Commander-in-Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable," it added, referring to President Donald Trump.
The CENTCOM statement did not provide details or state if the action was ongoing in the morning hours of July 13 in the Gulf region.
At the same time, Iranian state media reported explosions in several areas near the Strait of Hormuz, including in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Bushehr Province. The reports could not immediately be verified.
US Gulf Arab allies also reported incoming Iranian projectiles, launched in retaliation for US actions.
Third Wave Earlier In The Day
Early on July 12, the US launched its third wave of strikes in the past week with attacks on multiple Iranian sites after Tehran hit a commercial container ship and declared that one of the world's most strategically important waterways was closed.
“The United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait," CENTCOM said following the overnight strikes
Trump told CNN on July 12 that "We hit them very hard last night" and claimed that Washington and Tehran were close to a deal before the latest exchange of fire.
"They were giving up everything, and then all of a sudden two hours after that, they hit a ship with a drone. These people, there is something wrong with them," he said.
“They’re very, very evil and sick people,” he said in a separate interview with NBC. “We had meetings with them. They agreed to a deal yesterday, a perfect deal for us. No nuclear, no this, no that, no nothing. They gave up everything."
"And then after that, they left the room. And then within an hour, they launched a drone at a ship. I said, '“You people are sick. You’re sick people.'”
Trump also claimed that, despite Iranian comments to the contrary, traffic was moving through the strategically important strait. "It's open," Trump told NBC.
CENTCOM also claimed the waterway -- through which 20 percent of the world's crude oil and gas supplies transited prewar -- was still open for shipping.
"Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. It remains an international waterway. US forces are positioned and prepared to keep it that way," the command wrote on X.
A senior US official told reporters that American forces in the overnight attacks targeted Iranian air surveillance radars, maritime surveillance systems, missile and drone storage facilities, missile and unmanned aerial vehicle launch sites, and surface-to-air missile launchers in an effort to weaken Tehran's military capabilities.
Iranian state media reported explosions across southern Iran following those strikes. State broadcaster IRIB said three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas and two in Sirik, while additional blasts were reported on Qeshm Island, all overlooking the Strait of Hormuz.
In retaliation, Iran launched projectiles toward Kuwait, the tiny, oil-rich Gulf country closely allied with the US.
“Three northern land border centers in the country were subjected to a criminal aggressive attack, resulting in material damage,” Kuwait’s military said on X.
Iran also struck Qatar, which is acting as a mediator in cease-fire talks, and the United Arab Emirates, which was targeted for the first time in two months.
Diplomatic Efforts Falter
The military escalation came as diplomatic efforts in Oman appeared to falter.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi to discuss mechanisms for ensuring safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Tehran.
Earlier, Oman said discussions with Iran would continue at both the technical and political levels in an effort to reach agreements consistent with international law regarding navigation through the waterway.
There were no US officials participating in those discussions.
RFE/RL has learned from diplomatic sources that Omani mediators handed proposals to the Iranian delegation aimed at resolving disputes over maritime navigation. Senior officials declined to comment on the substance of the proposals.
According to diplomatic sources familiar with the discussions, Iran left the negotiations saying it would return after reaching a unified internal position on proposals that would have allowed freedom of navigation through Omani waters in the southern part of the strait without tolls.
Shortly afterward, Iran's national security apparatus responded by firing on a commercial vessel and announcing the closure of the waterway.
In recent months, Trump has promoted what he has called the "Southern Highway" -- a shipping route that keeps vessels closer to Oman's coastline and farther from Iranian territorial waters.
Tehran has repeatedly insisted that only its preferred route, running closer to the Iranian coast, is considered safe and has previously been accused of targeting vessels using the Omani route.
War Of Words Raises Risks
The latest confrontation unfolded against an increasingly volatile political backdrop. Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed revenge for the killing of his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, saying retaliation "must inevitably be carried out."
"This matter depends neither on my personal existence nor on that of other officials. Whether we are present or not, it will come to pass," he said, adding that Iran had compiled a list of individuals to be targeted.
Hours earlier, Trump warned that any assassination attempt against him would trigger overwhelming US military retaliation.
"1000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow," Trump wrote on Truth Social, saying the United States would "completely decimate" Iran if such a threat materialized.
The exchanges come after an interim cease-fire that had briefly paused fighting following the war that erupted in late February with large-scale US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Trump has since declared the cease-fire effectively over while saying he remains open to renewed negotiations.
Diplomatic Window Narrowing
Analysts said Iran's decision to close the Strait of Hormuz and attack commercial shipping marked another setback for diplomatic efforts.
"The Iranian regime is proving once again that when the US outstretches a hand in the spirit of diplomacy it is met with a clenched fist from Tehran," Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told RFE/RL.
“The US will need to escalate to send a message to the Islamic republic.”
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies typically pass, significantly raises the risk of broader regional instability and could have major consequences for international energy markets if the disruption persists.
With diplomacy struggling to gain traction and both Washington and Tehran hardening their positions, the latest military exchanges underscore the growing danger that the confrontation could expand well beyond the Gulf.
