The United States military launched a massive, multi-hour wave of offensive airstrikes against military targets inside Iran, severely damaging coastal defences and missile sites as Washington officially reinstated a total naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The high-stakes military action, executed by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), has effectively shattered a fragile June ceasefire agreement and raised fears of a regional war.
According to an official statement released by U.S. Central Command, the targeted precision strikes utilised fighter aircraft, naval vessels, and one-way attack sea drones to hit dozens of strategic locations. The operations targeted air-defence systems, coastal radar stations, missile and drone launch capabilities, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats.
CENTCOM asserted the strikes were designed to "degrade Iran's ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz".
"The Strait of Hormuz is an international maritime corridor for global trade," CENTCOM stated in its public briefing. "Iran does not control it. U.S. forces are postured and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping".
The escalation was triggered by a series of Iranian attacks on commercial oil tankers transiting the crucial waterway. In response, President Donald Trump formally notified Congress that hostilities had resumed, prompting a immediate 60-day window of executive military authorisation under the War Powers Act.
On Tuesday, President Trump also announced that the U.S. military would resume its strict maritime blockade on all Iranian ports, oil terminals, and coastal zones. The blockade, which initially ran from April to June, went back into effect at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, effectively choking off Iran's maritime trade.
While President Trump initially proposed charging international merchant vessels a 20% passage fee to offset U.S. security costs, he backed away from the tariff plan.
"They said we'd love to do it a different way. We'd love to invest in the United States with billions and billions of dollars," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, explaining that allied Gulf nations had offered alternative trade and investment deals instead. "I don't think anybody should be able to charge a fee for the strait."
Tehran reacted with defiance and immediate military retaliation across the Middle East. The IRGC launched retaliatory drone and missile counterattacks targeting international shipping and U.S.-linked facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.
"As long as U.S. 'evil actions' continue in the region, not a single drop of oil and gas would be exported from the region," the IRGC warned in a statement carried by Iranian state media. The group claimed its counterstrikes on neighbouring countries were a direct answer to U.S. aggression.
The rapid collapse of the June memorandum of understanding has alarmed international observers. Security analysts warn that the direct confrontations could spiral entirely out of control.
With both sides dug into their positions, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency has already warned commercial airlines against operating in the airspace of Gulf nations, signalling that the international community is bracing for an extended conflict.