Tensions between Iran and the United States escalated further on Tuesday as both sides hardened their positions over the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran insisting the strategic waterway would not be reopened through “war and aggression” while Washington pressed ahead with military operations and plans to oversee commercial shipping through the strait.
Here are the latest developments from the conflict:
Iran says Hormuz won’t reopen through ‘war and aggression’
Iran’s Army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami-Nia warned that the Strait of Hormuz “will never be reopened through war, hostility, or acts of aggression by the United States”, Iranian media Press TV reported.
Addressing a public gathering on Monday, Akrami-Nia accused Washington of violating international law and urged US President Donald Trump to respect the sovereignty of nations.
Iran files complaint against US at the UN
Iran has formally lodged a complaint with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), accusing the United States of violating the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last month.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Security Council President Zenon Ngay Mukongo, Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani alleged that Washington had “actively and systematically undermined” the agreement soon after it was signed.
Iran introduces Hormuz management bill
Iran’s Parliament has formally introduced the “Strategic Action for the Security and Sustainable Progress of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf” bill.
Announcing the move on X, National Security Committee chief Ebrahim Azizi said the legislation marked “the first step” in Iran’s efforts to manage the strategic waterway, adding that “subsequent measures are forthcoming”.
US strikes continue inside Iran
Fresh US missile strikes reportedly hit four locations in Iran’s Bushehr province, home to key nuclear facilities, according to IRNA news agency. Multiple explosions were also reported near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
The strikes came after President Donald Trump informed the US Congress that military operations against Iran had resumed under his War Powers authority.
Trump pushes Hormuz control plan
Trump has reiterated that the United States will keep the Strait of Hormuz open and assume the role of the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait”.
The US president has proposed a 20% charge on commercial cargo transiting the waterway while reinstating what he describes as an Iranian maritime blockade.
Iran has rejected the proposal, insisting that the management of the Strait remains Tehran’s sovereign responsibility.
India lodges strong protest with Iran
India has summoned Iran’s Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest after Iranian missiles struck two UAE-flagged oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ministry of External Affairs condemned attacks on commercial shipping and called for an immediate halt to violence threatening international maritime navigation.
One Indian seafarer was killed in the strike, while several others were injured.
GCC, Kuwait condemn tanker attacks
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Kuwait condemned Iran’s attack on the Emirati tankers MT Mombasa and MT Al Bahiyah.
The GCC urged the UN Security Council to take decisive action to protect international shipping, while Kuwait described the strikes as a flagrant violation of international law and a threat to global energy security.
