The Middle East has entered its most dangerous phase since the conflict began. The elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian army launched simultaneous missile and drone strikes against key US military installations in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. Tensions escalated sharply after Tehran imposed a complete blockade on Strait of Hormuz, and US President Donald Trump declared the temporary ceasefire officially over.
Striking air bases in Jordan and Bahrain
Iranian state media, citing official statements by the KGS through the Fars, reported successful hits on the air base „Prince Hassan“ in Jordan. According to Tehran, the target of the attack was a US command center and hangars for drones, causing large fires in ammunition depots and fuel tanks. Jordanian air defense forces reported that they had intercepted some of the missiles, but debris fell in various areas of the country.
At the same time, the Iranian army attacked the US air base with kamikaze drones „Sheikh Isa“ in Bahrain, as well as the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Port Salman. In Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), air raid sirens were activated for the second time in 24 hours, and air defense systems were activated at maximum capacity.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the oil shock
The military actions were preceded by an Iranian attack on a commercial container ship in Strait of Hormuz. Immediately afterwards, the KGS announced that it was closing the strategic waterway to all ships “until further notice“ and until “the US intervention in the region ceases“.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) countered Tehran's statement, stating that Iran does not control the strait and that US forces are positioned to ensure freedom of navigation. However, the effective blockade of the key route, through which nearly a fifth of the world's oil passes, has already caused a sharp jump in energy prices and heightened fears of global inflation.
Trump: „Iran made a bad choice“
US President Donald Trump commented on the situation to the media, stating that the Iranian leadership had ruined the opportunity for a diplomatic agreement.
“They agreed to a perfect deal, but an hour later they launched a drone at a ship. That's why we hit them hard“, Trump said.
Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth confirmed on social media that the US had conducted a third wave of massive air strikes, hitting more than 140 Iranian military sites, including radar systems and control centers along the coast of Iran.
Failure of diplomacy and threat of regional war
Iran's attacks on countries like Qatar and Oman have seriously undermined previous mediation efforts. Rockets have also been fired at the large US base “Al-Udeid“ in Qatar, and US logistics depots have been attacked in the port of Duqm in Oman. Doha announced that it reserved the right to respond and stressed that it would not act as a mediator while the country itself was under attack.
The KGS warned that this was only the first stage of the “revenge operation“ and that if “the aggression of the US terrorist army is repeated, all other US bases in the region will turn into hell“. Diplomatic channels currently appear to be completely blocked, and analysts warn that the previous proxy war has officially escalated into direct large-scale military conflict between Washington and Tehran in the Middle East.