US-Iran War Intensifies: Mutual Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and Jordan Base

Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated sharply on Thursday (16/7/2026) as both nations engaged in fierce reciprocal attacks. The fighting centred on the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, triggering global concern despite mediator Pakistan calling for a resumption of peace talks. This latest escalation comes just one month after the signing of a preliminary agreement that was supposed to end the conflict which erupted last February. However, the ceasefire collapsed following a massive US air strike that was met with ballistic missile retaliation by Tehran. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed it launched two waves of ballistic missile attacks against a US airbase in Jordan. Tehran claimed the strikes were in retaliation for an American attack that hit an area near a children’s cancer hospital in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran. Iranian state media reported that the hospital had to be evacuated and patients transferred to other medical centres. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the action as a barbaric act. Eyewitnesses in Ahvaz reported hearing more than a dozen intense explosions that shook the city. On the other side, US Central Command (Centcom) stated that its forces struck Iranian military targets in several locations, including Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island. The strikes aimed to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Centcom also targeted coastal defence sites and cruise missiles on Greater Tunb Island. The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for the world’s oil and gas supplies, has once again become a flashpoint. Iran has blockaded the strait and declared it will not reopen it until US aggression ends. In response, the United States has also re-imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning via Fox News, threatening to strike power plants and bridges in Iran if Tehran refuses to return to the negotiating table. ‘Next week is going to be very bad for them,’ Trump stated. Responding to the threat, Iran’s military headquarters warned that if the US carries out its threats, the entire infrastructure in the region will be destroyed under the steel fist of the Iranian armed forces. Pakistan, through its foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi, continued to urge all parties to cease violence and resume technical talks based on last month’s memorandum of understanding. However, Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that the agreement no longer has any meaning if Iran does not derive tangible benefits from it. Amidst the fighting, there was a small diplomatic bright spot when Trump confirmed the release of US citizen Dena Karari, who had been detained in Iran since December 2024. Trump called the release a ‘goodwill gesture’ from Iran, although it has not been enough to silence the roar of cannons in the Gulf.