US, Iran exchange fresh strikes as tensions escalate

U.S. forces on Sunday launched a new round of strikes against Iran, the U.S. Central Command said, reported Xinhua.

"At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. 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," the command said in a post on social media platform X.

Several regions in southern Iran's Hormozgan province were attacked on Sunday evening, with one person killed and two others wounded on Farur Island, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Citing an informed source, Tasnim identified the victim as Nouh Mahdavi, a director of the province's telecommunications company, who was killed while on duty.

According to the source, the two wounded were Mahdavi's colleagues.

Earlier, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that explosions were heard Sunday evening in the port city of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, both in Hormozgan.

The explosion sounds came from east of Bandar Abbas and Mesen village south of Qeshm Island, it added.

Meanwhile, Iran's official news agency IRNA cited Qeshm Governor Hossein Amir-Teymouri as saying that 10 to 11 "enemy" projectiles had hit the island.

Amir-Teymouri added that only military targets had been struck, with no casualties caused, IRNA reported.

Earlier, the United States completed a third round of strikes on Iranian military targets on Sunday, while Iran launched attacks on U.S. bases and facilities across the Gulf, marking a sharp escalation despite a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in June.

The U.S. Central Command said on Sunday it had completed the third round of strikes against Iran this week after hitting some 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment and other sites.

"Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the MoU after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed," the command said in a post on X.

Iran's Press TV reported on Sunday that explosions rocked several cities in southern Iran. In response, Iran launched a series of strikes against U.S. targets in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait.

The UAE and Kuwait said on Sunday that their air defense systems had intercepted missile and drone threats in their airspace.

Any explosions heard by the public were the result of air defense systems intercepting the incoming threats, Kuwait's armed forces said on X, urging citizens and residents to follow security and safety instructions issued by the relevant authorities.

Iran also targeted a U.S. military communications facility and a radar facility in Bahrain, and launched a ballistic missile strike against the U.S. airbase of Al Udeid in Qatar, according to reports.

Explosions were heard in Qatar early Sunday after the Ministry of Interior issued a public alert raising the country's security threat level for the second time within hours.

The ministry urged residents to remain indoors, stay away from glass windows, avoid unnecessary movement and follow safety instructions issued by the relevant authorities.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that it had destroyed a command and control center and drone hangars at the Prince Hassan air base in Jordan.

It said that its aerospace forces had carried out a heavy attack on U.S. aircraft carrier support and refueling facilities at Oman's Port of Duqm, adding that the operation targeted logistical support centers for U.S. naval vessels.

As for the Strait of Hormuz, Iran said earlier that the strait was closed after a vessel traveling on an unapproved route was struck, warning that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a "severe response."

"A vessel that had jeopardized maritime security by switching off its systems was struck and brought to a halt," the IRGC navy said in a statement.

As a result of the incident, the strait would remain closed "until further notice" and "until the end of U.S. interference in this region," the statement said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed in an advisory that a container ship caught fire after sustaining damage in an incident off the coast of Oman late Saturday.

On June 18, Iran and the United States signed an MoU on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon. Under the MoU, the two countries were scheduled to hold negotiations within 60 days to reach a final agreement.