US and Iran Exchange Strikes Over Strait of Hormuz Control

The United States and Iran have entered a broadening military conflict centered on control of the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the collapse of a June interim peace deal. The escalation intensified on July 28 when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at U.S. airbases and the U.S. Central Command center in Jordan. The IRGC further expanded its campaign with Operation Nasr 2, striking the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, where it claimed to destroy drone hangars and fuel depots.

In response, the United States launched a heavy wave of airstrikes on July 30 targeting dozens of IRGC facilities, including command centers and coastal defenses. While U.S. strikes killed three IRGC personnel in Zanjan province and civilians on Qeshm Island, the IRGC claimed to have destroyed three U.S. F-35 jets in Jordan—a claim the U.S. denied. Simultaneously, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia conducted joint strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq following drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

To constrain Iran's economy, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned firms involved in an extortion scheme forcing commercial vessels to pay for mandatory insurance to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. has since established a naval blockade, which United States Central Command describes as a steel wall. Despite the violence, the Iranian Foreign Ministry continues technical discussions with Omani officials in Tehran to manage maritime traffic.