The United States carried out a ninth consecutive night of military strikes against Iran on Sunday, continuing its campaign to degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the three-hour operation targeted Iranian military command centres, air defence systems, coastal surveillance sites, maritime assets, as well as missile and drone launch locations. The strikes began at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday and formed part of an ongoing effort to reduce Iran’s capacity to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the strategic waterway.
Tensions continue despite memorandum
The latest strikes come as fighting between Washington and Tehran intensifies, raising fears of a return to full-scale war. Both sides have accused each other of violating a memorandum of understanding reached in June, with disagreements over its interpretation fuelling renewed hostilities.
Michael Feller, chief strategist at Geopolitical Strategy, said the memorandum lacked clear mechanisms for investigating disputes or defining the consequences of breaches, allowing both sides to contest whether the agreement remained in force.
Oil prices rise as shipping slows
The Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world’s oil traffic moved before the conflict, has become the focal point of the confrontation that began on 28 February when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
Oil prices climbed following the latest escalation. Brent crude futures rose nearly 3% to around $90.70 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 2.5% to approximately $84.60.
Maritime intelligence firm Kpler reported that shipping traffic through the strait has fallen to its lowest level in three weeks, with only eight vessel transits recorded on Thursday compared with 15 the previous day.
Casualties mount on both sides
The human cost of the conflict continued to increase over the weekend.
US officials said a third American service member had been killed in recent fighting with Iran, while unidentified human remains were recovered in Jordan after another service member had previously been listed as missing in action. The deaths bring the number of US military personnel killed since the conflict began to 17.
Iranian authorities, meanwhile, said renewed US strikes this month have killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 500 others.
Regional tensions spread
US strikes have expanded in recent days to include civilian infrastructure, including the Bonji desalination plant, disrupting water supplies to around 10,000 people.
Iran has responded with attacks across the Gulf, targeting locations in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The Kuwaiti military said on Monday that its air defence systems intercepted hostile drones launched from Iran.
The US Embassy in Bahrain also warned of potential threats against locations in the capital, Manama, prompting authorities to activate warning sirens and advise residents to seek shelter.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed on Monday that two oil tankers exploded while attempting to use the southern shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has described as unsafe. Iran has continued to insist that vessels use routes designated by Iranian authorities.
US says oil flows remain resilient
Despite reports of slowing maritime traffic, US officials said energy shipments continue to move through the strategic chokepoint.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said approximately two-thirds of pre-conflict oil flows – around 14 million barrels per day – are still passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict, roughly 20 million barrels of crude oil and refined products transited the waterway each day.
Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, Wright dismissed reports suggesting that most shipping had stopped, saying traffic remains at about two-thirds of normal levels.
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