US President Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran “hard” following renewed military exchanges between Washington and Tehran, raising fears that the six-month conflict could escalate once again.
The latest confrontation comes after the United States launched strikes on Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. Iran subsequently retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting US-linked military positions in the Middle East.
After months of relative calm, the renewed exchange has heightened concerns over a possible return to large-scale hostilities.
“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump said, according to a Fox News reporter who spoke to him briefly. “There will be a response.”
The United States said its strikes targeted Iranian rocket launchers that were allegedly preparing to deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping route.
Iran, meanwhile, launched missile and drone attacks that it said were aimed at US forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian later called for dialogue and cooperation.
“We continue to strive for a path of agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is neither in our interest, nor in the interest of the region,” he said at a summit in Kyrgyzstan, adding “the solution to the existing problems is dialogue and cooperation.”
Iranian state media reported that three people were killed and several others wounded in the US strike on Larak Island.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a ballistic missile attack on two US air bases in Jordan caused “heavy damage”.
Trump, however, said all but one of the missiles fired at US forces had been intercepted, with the remaining missile assessed as posing no threat.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight missiles but did not specify their origin.
Iran also claimed to have targeted US personnel at an air base in the UAE and said it had shot down an American drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
Abu Dhabi confirmed that it had intercepted a drone over its waters but rejected reports that Al Minhad Air Base had been targeted, describing the claim as “baseless.”
The Revolutionary Guards later reported that another US drone had been shot down over Hormuz.
Iran’s armed forces central command also warned neighbouring countries against allowing the United States to use their territories for military operations against Iran.
Meanwhile, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker travelling out of the Strait of Hormuz was struck by three “unknown projectiles” near the northeastern coast of Oman. No casualties or environmental damage were reported.
The latest military confrontation comes as the Trump administration has increasingly focused on economic measures against Tehran.
Trump had earlier described Iran as “a Failed Nation”, claiming that its military had been decimated, its finances were collapsing, “and their leadership is in total disarray”.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said Washington would continue applying economic pressure on Iran.
“We are going to continue exerting pressure, and we’ve had very good discussions here already,” Bessent told reporters at a G20 meeting in North Carolina.
He said a major turning point in the campaign could come “within weeks or months”.
Iran has also used the Strait of Hormuz as a source of economic pressure. The strategic waterway remains heavily restricted, disrupting global trade and contributing to higher energy prices.
Before the conflict, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained at the centre of the confrontation between Iran and the United States.
Although traffic through the waterway remains severely restricted, Trump has claimed that the US Navy has “total control” of the strait. Washington also announced last week that it had completed efforts to clear explosives from international shipping routes.
Iran, however, continues to insist that it controls the strategic sea lane.
The Revolutionary Guards said Monday that a “rogue” oil tanker caught fire near the strait after hitting two mines while attempting to use an “illegal route.”
The US military dismissed the claim as “disinformation,” saying: “No ships have hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The renewed tensions come after months of unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement. An earlier ceasefire and memorandum of understanding eventually collapsed.
Iran has recently urged Washington to return to the previous agreement. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television that “the solution is completely clear and straightforward: the United States must return to its commitments”.
“In that case, everything can be put back on the right track,” he said.
With military tensions rising again and the Strait of Hormuz still restricted, concerns are growing over the potential impact on global energy markets and the wider Middle East.
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