US launches new strikes on Iran as Waltz says ceasefire has ‘broken down’

The United States launched another wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday, marking the fifth round of attacks this week, as the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran collapsed and fighting over the Strait of Hormuz intensified into the most dangerous phase of the conflict since it began in February.

U.S. Central Command confirmed the new strikes began Sunday evening, following earlier rounds that had already hit more than 300 Iranian military targets since Tuesday, according to CENTCOM releases and media reports. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz declared the ceasefire had "broken down" between the two countries, while Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on social media that "the era of one-sided deals is OVER".cnn+9

Tit-for-Tat Escalation

The week's escalation began after Iranian forces attacked commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting U.S. retaliatory strikes that rapidly expanded in scope. CENTCOM said its forces struck air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, drone and missile storage facilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats.centcom+1

Iran responded by declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed "until further notice" and launching retaliatory missile and drone strikes at U.S. military facilities across multiple Gulf states. Iran's Health Ministry reported at least 14 fatalities and 78 injuries across five provinces from U.S. strikes earlier in the week.aljazeera+2

The U.S. Joint Maritime Information Center said Sunday that the southern route through the strait remains open, insisting the waterway "is an international waterway and is not subject to coercion or control by any single nation".foxnews

Ceasefire in Ruins

The collapse marks the end of a 14-point memorandum of understanding signed June 17 that had required Iran to ensure safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait for 60 days while the two sides negotiated over Iran's nuclear program. The agreement had been fragile from the start, with flareups testing its durability in late June.csmonitor

The intensification of hostilities has driven oil prices higher, with Brent crude trading around $76 per barrel earlier in the week. The strait carries approximately one-fifth of the world's oil consumption, and its effective closure threatens global energy markets as both sides show little inclination toward de-escalation.nytimes+1