Fishing boats operate in coastal waters as oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AP
The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, Iranian media reported on Monday, July 13, claiming the United States violated a memorandum of understanding and saying the closure is intended to assert Iran’s sovereignty over the strategic waterway.
The development follows fresh US strikes on Iranian military targets early on Monday, July 13, which prompted Iranian retaliation against US military facilities across the Gulf.
Stay with us for the latest developments.
Iran fired warning shots at two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to state television, as tensions with the United States escalated over the strategic waterway.
State television said the vessels were attempting to cross the strait illegally when they were stopped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.
US strikes killed two people and injured three others on Monday in southwestern Iran, according to the Fars and Tasnim news agencies.
Citing a Khuzestan provincial official, the agencies said the strikes hit three locations on the outskirts of the city of Abadan.
Iran said it would pursue “all legal and international avenues” to hold the United States and Israel accountable over the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian citizens. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would seek justice for what it described as crimes committed against Iran.
Bahrain’s Defence Force said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed several Iranian missile and drone attacks on Monday morning. The military accused Iran of targeting civilians, said all units remained on high alert and urged residents to report suspicious debris while avoiding contact with it. The Royal Field Engineering Unit remains on standby to safely dispose of any remnants.
Explosions were reported near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island in southern Iran, according to local media and Mehr news agency. The cause was not immediately known, and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Iran’s ISNA news agency said one person was killed and seven others were injured in a US strike near Nain county in Isfahan province.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said negotiations in Muscat had focused on arrangements for managing the Strait of Hormuz and transit routes, but accused the United States of preventing an agreement through “overt and covert pressure” on Oman.
In a statement, the ministry condemned the latest US strikes as violations of international law and accused Washington of targeting Iran’s transport infrastructure. It also warned neighbouring countries against allowing their territory or facilities to be used for attacks on Iran, saying the source of any aggression could become a legitimate target.
It said the only way to restore stability in the Strait of Hormuz was to end US military interference and respect the sovereignty of Gulf states.
The Iranian Armed Forces said the Strait of Hormuz could only be reopened to commercial shipping if the United States ended its military interference and respected the sovereignty of countries bordering the Gulf. It warned that continued US involvement could lead to further disruption in global oil and gas markets.
Iran warned neighbouring countries that their territory and facilities must not be used for US military operations, saying the origin of any attack could itself become a target. The foreign ministry condemned the US strikes over the previous 24 hours as violations of the UN Charter and a threat to international peace and security, accusing Washington of damaging the country’s transport infrastructure.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that France’s foreign minister said sanctions on Iran would not be lifted unless Tehran abandoned its nuclear programme.
Shipping through the strategic waterway remained limited. Reuters, citing Kpler data, reported that only six vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. They included the Humanity, carrying two million barrels of Iranian crude oil, and the Capitan Andreas, transporting around 500,000 barrels of Kuwaiti oil products.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted US military sites in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, including Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, a US drone command centre in Bahrain and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
The IRGC also claimed it struck radar systems in Oman and US military facilities in Juffair, Bahrain, while alleging that a US attack hit an agricultural water pump in Mahshahr in southwestern Iran.
It further said its naval forces intercepted two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz after they allegedly switched off their identification systems and took an unlawful route, accusing the US military of directing the vessels’ movements. The IRGC said its retaliatory operations remained ongoing.
Separately, Al Jazeera quoted the IRGC as saying it had launched the fourth phase of its retaliatory campaign by targeting a US surface-to-surface missile base in Kuwait, claiming two HIMARS missile launchers and missile warehouses were destroyed. The claim has not been independently verified.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted and shot down four missiles that entered its airspace from Iran. Kuwait’s armed forces said they were confronting hostile aerial targets, while Bahrain’s Interior Ministry activated emergency sirens and urged citizens and residents to seek shelter.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had completed a new wave of strikes on dozens of military targets across Iran. It said drones and unmanned surface vessels were used for the first time to target air defence systems, radar installations, missile capabilities and boats to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten maritime navigation.
CENTCOM also said the Strait of Hormuz is a vital international waterway and “Iran does not control it”.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency, citing a Khuzestan provincial official, reported that one person was killed and four others were injured in a US strike on Mahshahr.
Axios reporter Barak Ravid, citing a US official, reported that around 20 commercial vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the previous 24 hours in coordination with the US military, while several others transited the waterway without US coordination.
This post was last modified on July 13, 2026 8:29 pm