The United States has officially reinstated a naval blockade on Iranian ports, effectively nullifying a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed less than a month ago intended to de-escalate tensions. The move follows a surge in hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirming a seven-hour campaign of precision strikes against Iranian coastal defense systems and missile sites.
CENTCOM reported that the operation targeted dozens of military assets to counter Iranian attacks on shipping lanes. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched drone and missile strikes targeting US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. The Jordanian military confirmed it intercepted four ballistic missiles, while the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence reported injuries to four naval personnel following a hit on a military vessel.
Casualty figures remain unverified by independent sources, though Iranian health officials claim over 30 civilian deaths and 260 injuries resulting from the US strikes. The IRGC has issued a stark warning, threatening to halt all energy exports from the region if the blockade persists. Meanwhile, the US Department of the Treasury has escalated economic pressure by freezing $130 million in cryptocurrency assets linked to the Central Bank of Iran.
At the United Nations, Iran’s permanent representative, Amir-Saeid Iravani, formally accused the US of aggression, asserting that Washington actively undermined the recent peace agreement. As regional security deteriorates, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called on Iraq to disarm Iran-aligned militias, signaling a potential expansion of the conflict’s diplomatic and military scope.