Ceasefire MOU on brink of collapse as Iran vows to defend Strait of Hormuz 'at all costs'

Armed conflict between the United States and Iran is intensifying as US forces launched airstrikes against Iran following Iranian attacks on civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran to strike back at American military bases across the Middle East. Tensions have reached a peak after a close adviser to Iran's supreme leader declared that the Strait of Hormuz is "more important than dozens of atomic bombs" and vowed that Iran would defend it at all costs. The MOU the two countries signed on June 17 — under which they agreed to a 60-day truce — now appears to be on the verge of collapse.

US Central Command said Sunday (local time) on social media platform X that it "conducted additional strikes at 5 p.m. Eastern time (6 a.m. Monday Korean Standard Time) to continue degrading Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and merchant vessels transiting freely through the Strait of Hormuz," adding that the commander in chief had ordered the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable.

The strikes on Sunday marked the fourth time the US has hit Iran since July 7. Washington has carried out the strikes in response to Iranian attacks on merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier that day, President Donald Trump insisted the Strait of Hormuz remained open to civilian vessels and dismissed Iran's claim that it had reimposed a blockade. In phone interviews with NBC and CNN, Trump said, "We hit them very hard last night," and "Hormuz is open. We bombed the hell out of them last night."

Iran struck back by targeting US military bases in the region. Iran launched strikes against targets in neighboring countries including Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.

Iran's state broadcaster reported that "in response to continued US attacks on southern Iran, the Iranian regular military, alongside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, struck US military facilities in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain," and warned that "any further action by US forces would trigger even harsher retaliation."

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said it destroyed a US command-and-control center and an MQ-9 drone hangar at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan using ballistic missiles. It also said it struck a Patriot air defense battery, an ammunition depot and radar facilities at a US base in Kuwait using drones, and that communications and radar facilities at the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain were also targeted in drone strikes.

Iranian forces fired multiple ballistic missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, targeting fighter jet maintenance facilities and a command-and-control center at the base. Iran's state-run Press TV reported that the Revolutionary Guard also "struck hard" at US aircraft carrier refueling and logistics supply facilities at the port of Duqm in Oman.

Iran has been emphasizing the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, signaling that tensions with the US over the waterway are likely to deepen. According to Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency, Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to the supreme leader, described the Strait of Hormuz as a "strategic corridor" at a memorial service for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — the father of Mojtaba Khamenei — and said, "It is more important than dozens of atomic bombs, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will defend it."

The remarks came as Iranian forces had been repeatedly attacking merchant ships transiting the strait in recent weeks, drawing US retaliatory military action, and as Iran declared a full blockade of the strait that day, citing what it called "illegal passage" by vessels.

Rezaei, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is regarded as a hardliner and has faced allegations that he orchestrated the assassination of US oil company executives in southern Iran in 1978, a year before the Islamic Revolution.

Referring to the death of Ali Khamenei — who was killed when the US and Israel launched a surprise strike on Iran on Feb. 28 — Rezaei said, "The emotions of the Iranian people were attacked, and they killed our father." He added, "Revenge does not mean the end of the revolution; rather, it is an important means of continuing it," and said, "We will also pursue the path of revenge — the Quran emphasizes fighting the enemy and subduing the aggressor."