U.S. and Iran Trade Accusations Over Control of Strait of Hormuz After Weekend Attacks

The United States and Iran said on Monday that they controlled the Strait of Hormuz after a weekend of attacks that spread across the Middle East, heightening worries about the future of the interim cease-fire deal.

Iran struck a container ship in the strait on Sunday, prompting the United States to launch airstrikes that it said hit dozens of Iranian targets, including air-defence systems, radar sites, missile and drone equipment and small boats. The U.S. Central Command stated that Iran does not control the waterway, which it described as a vital corridor for global trade.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard rejected the U.S. claim, asserting that the strait is Iranian territory and warning against what it called illegal interference.

Missile alert sirens sounded in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, and Kuwait reported intercepting hostile fire. Jordan’s military said it shot down four Iranian missiles without casualties or damage. Iranian state media confirmed explosions on its soil, reporting at least one death.

The attacks also reached Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman. Oman, which has acted as an intermediary between Tehran and the West, summoned an Iranian diplomat to protest the strike.

In Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region, a base belonging to the armed wing of the Kurdistan Freedom Party was hit by drones; the group’s commander confirmed the strike but gave no details on casualties.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences. Meanwhile, mediators including Pakistan, Qatar and Egypt continued diplomatic efforts to secure a permanent end to the conflict.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote that one-sided deals were over and urged the United States to keep its word. The United States, citing the attacks, maintained that the strait remained open for navigation, while Iran described it as effectively closed.

The United States has been escorting vessels along a southern route hugging Oman’s coastline, a measure that Iran has condemned and responded to with further attacks on ships using the path. Oil prices have fallen from wartime peaks, reflecting the shifting impact of the strait’s instability on global energy markets.