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Iran on Monday condemned renewed U.S. attacks on its island of Larak and defended strikes by Iranian forces on bases in Jordan as “legitimate defense.”
In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran “strongly condemned the American military aggression on Larak,” adding that Iranian forces had responded, “in accordance with the inherent right of legitimate defense.”
Iran attacked U.S. military targets in the Middle East on Monday in retaliation for the first American strikes on its territory in a month, in a fresh flare-up of the war that has engulfed the region.
Tehran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had responded to Sunday’s American attack by striking two U.S. air bases with ballistic missiles in Washington-allied Jordan, causing “heavy damage.”
Jordan’s army said it had intercepted eight missiles, without stating their origin.
Tehran also claimed it targeted U.S. military personnel at an air base in the United Arab Emirates and shot down a U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks came after the United States said Sunday it had struck Iranian rocket launchers on the small island of Larak in the strategic shipping lane.
Washington said the strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from placing more sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, days after the United States announced it had completed clearing explosives from the waterway.
“U.S. forces took limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.
Iran’s Guards said the U.S. strikes caused “casualties” and described the subsequent attack on Jordan as a response to “U.S.-Zionist aerial aggression.”
“We are not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement quoted by state television.
Pezeshkian made the remarks before traveling to Kyrgyzstan for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping of a bloc that seeks to counter Western influence.
The exchange of fire between the United States and Iran came shortly after their war reached the six-month mark and at a time when hostilities had been easing.
In recent weeks, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has prioritized “economic warfare” over military strikes.
Tehran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic sea lane through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the United States and Israel triggered the war with strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
“Last week, CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes,” said Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command.
“U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” he said.
Diplomatic efforts, led by mediators including Pakistan and Qatar, have tried for months to end the war.
A ceasefire was agreed in April and a memorandum of understanding toward a final peace deal was signed in June, but no final agreement has been reached.
Washington has since declared “economic warfare” against Tehran.
A U.S. naval counterblockade of Iranian ports is squeezing petrol supplies in Iran amid a shortfall in domestic production.
The April ceasefire ended the most intense fighting, but sporadic attacks, mainly around the Strait of Hormuz, have dimmed prospects for a final peace agreement.
The last U.S. strike on Iran before Sunday came on July 29 in response to “an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces” in the region, the U.S. military said.
Earlier in July, CENTCOM attacked Iran for 13 consecutive nights.
Throughout the war, Iran has responded by striking U.S. facilities and allies in the Gulf region, hitting targets in Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
Its closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused global price hikes and shortages of fertilizer and energy.
Both main crude oil contracts rose at least 2% on Monday.
The war is also deeply unpopular with the U.S. public, with midterm elections looming in November that could determine control of Congress.
In a statement Friday, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed criticized Trump over the war.
“Six months later, not a single objective has been achieved,” said Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“Indeed, he has weakened our position in the Middle East and the world significantly,” he added.
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