Iran-US exchange fresh strikes, accuse each other of violating MoU

Iran and the United States traded fresh military strikes across the Gulf, with both nations blaming each other for violating the Mo U reached less than two weeks ago. Iran announced that its forces launched attacks following recent US strikes on Iranian territory, while both accused each other of undermining the truce that was intended to halt nearly four months of warfare. The renewed escalation highlighted the growing uncertainty surrounding the peace framework brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, which was designed to end a conflict initiated by the US and Israel in February. The conflict has severely disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and triggered volatility in global energy markets. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that it had tightened control over shipping movements in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, warning that any vessel violating Tehran’s designated route would face stricter enforcement measures. According to Iranian authorities, only a specific maritime corridor running close to Iran’s coastline is currently approved for transit through the waterway. The IRGC also claimed responsibility for retaliatory strikes targeting the US military positions in Kuwait and Bahrain. In an official statement, the IRGC said the attacks struck eight major US military installations, including the Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the US Fifth Fleet headquarters located in Bahrain’s Port Salman. Iran warned that any future hostile action, regardless of scale or justification, would trigger an overwhelming response. Authorities in Bahrain later confirmed that air raid sirens were activated twice on Sunday following the reported attacks. The latest confrontation comes despite a memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June under Pakistan’s mediation efforts, aimed at securing a lasting end to hostilities. Under the agreement, both the US and Iran, along with their allied forces, had committed to refraining from launching military operations or