US launches fresh strikes on Iran as Tehran warns countries aiding Washington; oil prices jump

The United States launched a fresh round of military strikes against Iran on Sunday (July 12), with US Central Command saying the operation is intended to further degrade Tehran's ability to target civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It is continuing for more than three hours. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a "flagrant violation" of the UN Charter and accusing Washington of undermining regional stability and violating a ceasefire agreement.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out on the direction of the Commander in Chief to hold Iranian forces accountable.
"At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable," CENTCOM said. Earlier on Saturday, the US forces hit approximately 140 Iranian military targets with precision munitions launched by land- and sea-based fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels. Targets included Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, communication networks, and coastal surveillance locations.

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How Iran reacted?

According to Iran's Press TV, three explosions were heard in the southern Iranian cities of Jask, Bandar Abbas and Sirik following the US operation. In a statement by Iran's Foreign Ministry, Tehran warned that any country allowing its territory or facilities to be used for attacks against Iran could become a legitimate target of Iranian defensive strikes, while urging the United Nations to hold the United States accountable for what it described as acts of aggression.
"The territory or facilities of any country used to launch military attacks against Iran may be regarded as the origin of aggression and treated as a legitimate target for defensive operations by the Iranian armed forces," the ministry said.

What is the current situation at the Strait of Hormuz?

Even as Iran announced that it has shut the Strait og Hormuz, US President Trump asserted that Hormuz remains open to commercial traffic. In an interview on NBC's Meet the Press, the President signalled a complete collapse of recent diplomatic efforts with Iran, revealing that a tentative agreement with Tehran had been shattered by alleged Iranian military strike against commercial vessel. "It's open," the President said regarding the Strait of Hormuz. "We bombed the hell out of them last night," he added. The Foreign Ministry also rejected remarks attributed to the US President regarding the outcome of recent talks held in Muscat, describing them as "a complete lie." According to Iran, the discussions in Muscat were focused on arrangements related to the management of the Strait of Hormuz and the security of international shipping routes, and not as characterised by the US President.

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Meanwhile, oil prices climbed after a weekend of strikes between the United States and Iran. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 3.92% to $78.99 a barrel, and US crude climbed 3.44% to $73.87 a barrel.