The United States launched a new round of missile attacks on Iran on Sunday. Attacks and counterattacks between the two sides are already in a cycle. Washington and Tehran have issued conflicting statements about whether the Strait of Hormuz is open to shipping. The attack that occurred on Sunday afternoon was the fourth US attack in a week. The US Central Command said the weekend air strike was in response to Iran's attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship. According to CNN reports, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps once again opened fire on merchant ships, and US planes intercepted an Iranian cruise missile and an attack drone. Iran then launched retaliatory drone and missile attacks against America's allies in the Middle East, including Kuwait, Jordan, and Qatar. The US Central Command posted on social media that the attack was aimed at limiting Iran's ability to attack civilian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Trump “ordered an attack to hold the Iranian military to account.” The tit-for-tat attacks are becoming increasingly intense, overshadowing the prospects for US-Iran negotiations aimed at resolving key issues such as Iran's nuclear program and ending the war situation. Over the weekend, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed “until further notice.” The US Central Command refuted this, saying that the waterway is still open to all ships, and the US military is ready to ensure freedom of navigation. The global monitoring agency Joint Maritime Information Center reported on Sunday that ships can still pass through the Southern Strait Line.

The United States launched a new round of missile attacks on Iran on Sunday. Attacks and counterattacks between the two sides are already in a cycle. Washington and Tehran have issued conflicting statements about whether the Strait of Hormuz is open to shipping. The attack that occurred on Sunday afternoon was the fourth US attack in a week. The US Central Command said the weekend air strike was in response to Iran's attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship. According to CNN reports, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps once again opened fire on merchant ships, and US planes intercepted an Iranian cruise missile and an attack drone. Iran then launched retaliatory drone and missile attacks against America's allies in the Middle East, including Kuwait, Jordan, and Qatar. The US Central Command posted on social media that the attack was aimed at limiting Iran's ability to attack civilian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Trump “ordered an attack to hold the Iranian military to account.” The tit-for-tat attacks are becoming increasingly intense, overshadowing the prospects for US-Iran negotiations aimed at resolving key issues such as Iran's nuclear program and ending the war situation. Over the weekend, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed “until further notice.” The US Central Command refuted this, saying that the waterway is still open to all ships, and the US military is ready to ensure freedom of navigation. The global monitoring agency Joint Maritime Information Center reported on Sunday that ships can still pass through the Southern Strait Line.