US-Iran Attacks Intensify, Gulf Nations Drawn Into Conflict

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday morning a new phase of airstrikes on Iran, marking the ninth consecutive day of attacks. According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense systems, coastal surveillance sites, naval military capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communication networks. Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s nuclear energy organization said the US had also struck a civilian nuclear plant under construction in southwestern Iran, calling the strikes “barbaric aggression” and a violation of international law.
Reports indicate explosions were heard in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr, and Bandar Imam Khomeini, while at least six missiles reportedly struck Qeshm Island. The interim ceasefire agreement has effectively collapsed, and maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz has been suspended again. Brent crude oil prices surpassed $90 per barrel on global markets Monday, deepening the global energy crisis. President Trump said: “We hit them again tonight, very hard — this is in response to the killing of our troops.”
In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it struck US military targets in Kuwait, destroying an early-warning radar system and hitting a hangar housing MQ-9 drones at Ali Al Salem Air Base. Ballistic missiles reportedly hit US C-17 transport and P-8 surveillance aircraft at Jordan’s Aqaba airport, with 20 hangars destroyed at Al Azraq (Muwaffaq Salti) Air Base. US installations in Syria were also targeted. Two oil tankers were disabled by explosions in the Strait of Hormuz. The US Embassy in Bahrain issued a warning about possible strikes on central Manama.