Iranian armed forces have launched fresh attacks on US military infrastructure in Gulf states in retaliation for recent American strikes on Iran's southern and eastern regions, further straining a ceasefire agreement that has lasted three weeks.

These developments coincided with the burial of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad. Khamenei was killed in a US airstrike on February 28, the first day of the ongoing war.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy stated that US attacks and interventions redirecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupting the gradual reopening of this critical waterway. The Guards reported that vessel traffic under Iranian supervision has recovered to about 50% of pre-war levels over the past two weeks, with permission granted only to ships following routes designated by Tehran.

In a further escalation, the Revolutionary Guards announced that Iran fired 10 ballistic missiles at Jordan's Azraq military base, used by US forces, and a US military control center in the Middle East, though details were not elaborated.

US Central Command reported that its forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, and missile and drone storage sites.

Meanwhile, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz declared at a military ceremony that Israel is prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran if necessary, stating, "The army is ready and on alert for a resumption of fighting, in order to regain air superiority and strike again... in Iran, to eliminate threats, including a third time if necessary."

These events have raised fears of a return to full-scale war after an April ceasefire and a June US-Iran agreement aimed at ending hostilities. The Strait of Hormuz, which handled about a fifth of global oil supplies before the war, remains largely under Tehran's control, enabling Iran to maintain a stalemate against the world's most powerful military.

Sources