The US military launched a new series of strikes against Iran on 12 July, drawing condemnation from Tehran, which described the operations as a flagrant violation of a peace agreement signed just 25 days earlier. The US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed the strikes, stating they were ordered to “continue to reduce the Iranian ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships” transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s foreign ministry accused Washington of having “openly violated almost all terms” of the June ceasefire accord. In a statement, it said the strikes had targeted transport infrastructure, fishing vessels, cargo barges, and meteorological facilities, acts it described as “some of the most heinous war crimes”. Tehran also asserted that the US had used the territory and facilities of countries on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf to stage the attacks, effectively turning those states into a “battlefield for its illegal and criminal war against the Iranian people”.

The ministry issued a direct warning to neighbouring states, declaring that any origin of attacks against Iran would be considered a legitimate target for what it called “defensive strikes” by Iranian armed forces. It reminded those countries of their obligation under international law to prevent aggressor parties from using their territory for military aggression. This warning came after Iran had already retaliated for earlier US strikes by targeting sites in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, according to regional media reports.

The escalation follows the collapse of diplomatic efforts. Iran’s foreign ministry stated that the Muscat talks on 11 July, which focused on arrangements for managing the Strait of Hormuz and navigation routes, had been thwarted by US pressure on Oman. It dismissed claims by US President Donald Trump about the outcome of those talks as “pure fabrications born of desperation”. Tehran called on the United Nations and the Security Council to hold the “aggressor parties and those who aided and facilitated them” accountable.

The US strikes, which Centcom said were launched at 17:00 Eastern Time, mark a further deterioration of the security situation in the strategic waterway. With the peace agreement effectively voided and no new diplomatic channel announced, the dossier remains in a state of open military confrontation. The UN Security Council has yet to schedule a session on the matter.