U.S. launches additional round of strikes on Iran, IRGC says hit U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait

Several explosions were heard Tuesday night in the southern Iranian provinces of Hormozgan and Khuzestan, as the United States announced a new round of strikes against Iran, state-run IRIB news agency reported.

Six explosions were heard west of the port city of Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan province, and Khuzestan's provincial capital Ahvaz was struck by U.S. projectiles, it reported.

Separately, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported that Sirik County in Hormozgan province was targeted by U.S. airstrikes Tuesday night, noting the attack caused no casualties or material damage.

Three blasts were also heard in proximity to Qeshm Island in Hormozgan province, Mehr reported.

The U.S. Central Command said in a post on X on Tuesday that "at 3 p.m. ET today, forces began launching an additional round of strikes against Iran to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."

The operation came shortly before the forces began the resumption of the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

"U.S. forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas today at 4 p.m. Eastern Time," the U.S. Central Command said in a statement posted on X.

"There are currently more than 20 U.S. Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East. American forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready," it said.

On Monday, the U.S. military announced a "third consecutive night" of strikes against Iran.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Tuesday its aerospace and naval forces have struck U.S. bases in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for U.S. attacks earlier in the day.

In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said its forces, in a joint missile and drone operation, hit and destroyed U.S. weapon depots as well as vessel and helicopter parts at the Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.

The IRGC said its forces also struck the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, destroying and damaging a number of the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones.

The attacks were in retaliation for the U.S. strikes Tuesday afternoon against a number of the Iranian armed forces' coastal stations, the IRGC added.

It said its retaliation will continue as long as the United States keeps "committing crimes," warning that any U.S. attacks will be met with "surprising responses."

The latest developments came after days of clashes between Iran and the United States over the control of the Strait of Hormuz, despite a U.S.-Iran peace MoU signed in mid-June, under which the two sides were expected to begin negotiations within 60 days toward a final agreement.

U.S. launches additional round of strikes on Iran, IRGC says hit U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will take investment deals with Gulf states instead of fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

"Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20 percent United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would remain open to all ship traffic except for Iran, while the naval blockade will continue.

"BY FAR, the Strait of Hormuz is open to ALL Ship traffic except for Iran," he said. "We will therefore have a FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo," he added.

The decision came one day after he proposed a 20-percent fee on shipping to reimburse the United States for protecting the key waterway.

Trump said he had formally notified Congress on Friday that the country had resumed military operations against Iran.

Fresh U.S. airstrikes and Iranian retaliation have plunged Washington and Tehran back into open conflict less than a month after signing a 14-point memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war. Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, a senior advisor to Iranian supreme leader, said in a social media post on Tuesday that the U.S. had resumed the war and violated the terms of the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding by re-imposing sanctions on Iran, and reinstating the naval blockade, thus rendering the MoU invalid.

Several merchant ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, and the U.S. military resumed strikes against Iran in what it said was a response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels.

On July 10, the U.S. Treasury Department announced a new round of sanctions against Iran following recent "Iranian attacks on merchant ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

Trump says will withdraw plans to charge fees in Strait of Hormuz, senior Iranian official claims MoU void