US and Iran trade fire as tensions rise over Strait of Hormuz

US and Iran trade fire as tensions rise over Strait of HormuzImage source, ReutersImage caption, Two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman.ByHelen Sullivan and Peter HoskinsPublished13 July 2026, 05:06 BSTUpdated 1 minute agoThe US launched a new attack on Iran on Sunday evening, continuing days of strikes between the two countries. Iranian state media reported that the strikes killed one person in southwestern Iran, while four were injured.Within hours of the fresh US strikes, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had struck US military bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain.The escalating attacks, which cast doubt over the future of the interim US-Iran agreement signed in June, come amid conflicting claims over whether the Strait of Hormuz is open.Iran says it has closed the key waterway until further notice, while the US insists it is open.On Sunday evening, Centcom announced another round of strikes against Iran, which it said started at 17:00 ET (22:00 BST).Dozens of Iranian military targets, including air-defence systems, coastal radar sites, and missile and drone capabilities were struck, it said later.US forces were "prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping despite Iran's continued unwarranted aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations," Centcom said.Minutes before the initial Centcom announcement, Iranian state TV reported explosions in Sirik, Qeshm, Bandar Abbas and Jask."Following the attack of the American enemy on Monday morning... one person was martyred and four others were injured," IRNA reported, citing the deputy governor for security and law enforcement in Khuzestan province, Valiollah Hayati.Oil prices jumped on Monday morning in Asia. Brent crude was up by 4% at $79.07 (£59.11) a barrel, while US-traded oil gained 4.2% to $74.53.Energy prices on global wholesale markets have swung wildly in recent months as traders r...