TEHRAN(National Times)- Iran said on Monday it attacked US military targets in Jordan in retaliation for the first American strikes on its territory in a month, marking a fresh flare-up in the six-month war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tehran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they struck two US military air bases with ballistic missiles in Washington-allied Jordan, causing \u201cheavy damage\u201d. Jordan\u2019s army said it had intercepted eight missiles, without stating their origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The strikes came after the United States said on Sunday it had attacked Iranian rocket launchers on a small island in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Washington said its attacks were aimed at preventing Iran from launching more sea mines into the strait, days after it announced it had completed clearing explosives from the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUS forces took limited, precise action against IRGC mine laying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d the US Central Command (Centcom) wrote on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Guards said the US strikes resulted in \u201ccasualties\u201d and that their subsequent attack on Jordan was \u201cin response to the US-Zionist aerial aggression\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The exchange of fire came shortly after the US-Iran war hit the six-month mark, and at a time when hostilities had been subsiding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In recent weeks, the administration of US President Donald Trump has prioritised \u201ceconomic warfare\u201d over military strikes on Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tehran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic sea lane through which one-fifth of the world\u2019s oil passed before the United States and Israel triggered hostilities with strikes on Iran on February 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLast week, Centcom completed clearing sea mines from the strait\u2019s international shipping routes,\u201d said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUS forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bessent signals more sanctions
The return to hostilities follows weeks in which the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to punish Tehran and its business partners with costly economic sanctions, shifting away from military options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters on Sunday new secondary sanctions were likely to be unveiled weekly in the effort to pressure Iran, with an initial focus on banks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re starting with the banks, and we\u2019re telling the banks it\u2019s not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime,\u201d Bessent said in an interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After imposing penalties on the United Arab Emirates branches of Egypt\u2019s Banque Misr on Friday over alleged financial links to Iran, Bessent said the next step may be cutting off an institution entirely from the dollar-based financial system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to see a lot more of these every week,\u201d Bessent told Reuters, ahead of a meeting of Group of 20 finance leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unpopular war
Diplomatic efforts, spearheaded by mediators including Pakistan and Qatar, have tried for months to bring an end to the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While a ceasefire was agreed in April and a memorandum of understanding towards a final peace deal was signed in June, no agreement has been forthcoming, and Washington has since declared \u201ceconomic warfare\u201d against Tehran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A US naval counterblockade of Iranian ports is squeezing petrol supplies in Iran during a shortfall in domestic production, as the US ramps up the pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The April ceasefire put an end to the most intense fighting, but sporadic attacks, mainly around the Strait of Hormuz, have dimmed the prospects of a final peace agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The last US strike on Iran prior to Sunday\u2019s came on July 29 in response to \u201can attempted surprise attack on US forces\u201d in the region, the US military said. Earlier in July, Centcom attacked Iran for 13 consecutive nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throughout the war, Iran has fought back by striking US facilities and allies in the Gulf region, hitting targets in Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TEHRAN(National Times)- Iran said on Monday it attacked US military targets in Jordan in retaliation for the first American strikes on its territory in a month, marking a fresh flare-up in the six-month war. Tehran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they struck two US military air bases with ballistic missiles in Washington-allied Jordan, causing \u201cheavy damage\u201d. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n