US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the execution of fresh strikes within Iran against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, in response to "recently attempted attacks by the Revolutionary Guards that targeted commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as US military personnel deployed in the region".
Iranian state television reported hearing multiple explosions in the south of the country along the strategic Strait of Hormuz, indicating "several explosions east of the city of Bandar Abbas and around Qeshm island". The broadcaster noted that "no incidents or damage have been reported" so far in Hormozgan province, in the south of the country.
The strikes come after US President Donald Trump threatened Tehran with fresh blows in response to recent attacks. On Sunday afternoon, the United States and Iran exchanged direct attacks for the first time since late July, when Washington carried out strikes on Larak island and Iran indicated it had attacked US bases in the region.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday, reaffirmed Moscow's solidarity with the Iranian people in their struggle for their interests. Putin indicated that Russia and Iran will maintain their economic and trade relations despite the current military and political circumstances, in a context where US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that countries conducting trade transactions with Iran could face US sanctions.
Pezeshkian thanked his Russian counterpart for "the positions" taken by Moscow during the war with the United States, stating: "We appreciate your positions at the United Nations and in international forums, both in times of war and aggression and in circumstances of peace when the United States imposed sanctions on us". He added that "this confirms that our relationship is at a strategic level, not simply an ordinary relationship", and stressed that Moscow and Tehran can jointly resist what he described as American "unilateralism".
This was the first publicly announced meeting between Pezeshkian and Putin since the start of the war in the Middle East, their previous meeting having taken place during a summit in Turkmenistan in December 2025. Before the meeting, Pezeshkian committed that his country would "reciprocate" if the United States fulfilled its commitments under the temporary agreement signed in June on a ceasefire between the two nations.
On Monday, Pezeshkian declared that war is not in the interest of either party and that Tehran remains open to a negotiated solution to its conflict with Washington. This comes after Trump told Fox News that "there will be a response" to Iranian attacks, though he added in remarks to journalists at the Oval Office that a resumption of attacks does not mean a return to all-out war. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that the exchange of fire constituted a "limited confrontation", but clarified that Tehran would respond firmly if it suffered another attack.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the main obstacle to reaching an agreement to end the war that started in February, with Iran having repeatedly stated that it will not allow freedom of navigation through the vital global oil supply corridor unless Washington "fulfils" the terms of the agreement. Treasury Secretary Bessent indicated that the United States is likely to announce sanctions against a bank this week as part of its economic campaign against Iran, and added that "there will never be clemency, we are going to strangle this regime economically".
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf urged his citizens to rationalise fuel consumption amid difficulties the country faces in importing sufficient quantities of petroleum products due to the US maritime blockade. Qatar urged Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations, warning that continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz will generate further escalation.
