The Iran-US conflict escalated further after US President Donald Trump said American forces had struck Iran “very hard” and dedicated the attacks to three US service members killed in recent days. The latest military exchanges have raised fresh concerns about regional stability and the security of global energy supplies.

The strikes followed the deaths of two US soldiers in Jordan and one in Iraq. Trump said the military action honoured the fallen troops as Washington intensified its campaign against Iranian targets.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it launched a new wave of strikes during the early hours of Monday, marking the ninth consecutive night of military operations. The US military said it targeted Iranian military facilities and communications networks to further reduce Tehran’s ability to attack vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran said it responded by launching what it described as a surprise attack against US positions in Syria and by targeting American aircraft at Jordan’s Aqaba Airport. Kuwait’s armed forces also reported intercepting Iranian drones that entered its airspace.

Iran-US: Tensions Escalate After Fresh Strikes Across the Middle East

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported explosions in several cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr, and Bandar Imam Khomeini, following the latest US strikes.

Iranian state media also reported that two oil tankers exploded while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the vessels travelled through what it called an unsafe southern route and said the explosions forced them to stop. However, CENTCOM rejected that account.

The IRGC warned that the Strait of Hormuz would remain unsafe for oil and petrochemical shipments as long as US military operations continued. It also threatened to launch what it described as a punitive operation in response to the strikes.

Over the weekend, the United States confirmed that an Iranian attack in northern Iraq killed one US service member. The announcement followed another attack on a military base in Jordan that killed two American soldiers. US officials also said investigators had recovered unidentified human remains and were working to verify their identity.

Despite the continued military exchanges, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained open to a diplomatic solution. He also argued that the international community should not allow Iran to control one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest escalation comes after a preliminary ceasefire agreement reached in mid-June collapsed. Negotiations to secure a permanent peace have made little progress since President Trump declared the agreement had ended on 8 July.