Iran vows “stronger and more resolute” response, insists on its routes in Strait of Hormuz
US strikes on Iran: IRGC affirms it will deal firmly with violating ships and describes control of the strait as a strategic deterrent amid escalating confrontation with the United States
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened a “stronger and more resolute” response to any new US attacks, affirming it would deal “more forcefully” with ships that do not comply with the routes announced by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, describing control of the strait as a strategic deterrent rather than being linked to imposing transit fees, following the military confrontation between Tehran and Washington and the exchange of strikes early Sunday, and growing tension over the safety of navigation in one of the world’s most important waterways.
US-Iran military escalation in the Strait of Hormuz
The escalation between the United States and Iran entered a new phase, after US Central Command announced it had carried out strikes targeting 10 sites inside Iran, which it said included radars, missile platforms, drones, and facilities for preparing naval mines, including sites on Qeshm Island and the Sirik region, as part of what it described as protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Iran’s IRGC announced it had targeted eight sites belonging to US forces at the Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait and the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, saying the attacks came in response to US targeting of five coastal sites in southern Iran, while media reports from Tehran said the IRGC threatened a “stronger and more resolute” response if US strikes were repeated.
The IRGC also confirmed, according to its statements, that any new targeting would be met with additional escalation, noting that its operations extended to US infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Targeting US bases and Gulf warnings
The IRGC said its operations targeted infrastructure belonging to US forces in Kuwait and Bahrain, affirming it would deal “more forcefully” with ships that do not comply with the routes announced by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Gulf states condemned the Iranian attacks, considering them a violation of state sovereignty and a direct threat to regional security.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry stressed the need to de-escalate and avoid the repercussions of unjustified attacks, calling for a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy and building on what has been achieved within the framework of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding to enhance regional and international security and stability.
الحرس الثوري الإيراني: من الآن فصاعدًا سيتم التعامل مع السفن المخالفة بقوة أكبر، وأي اعتداء محتمل، ولو على أهداف قليلة الأهمية، سيقابل برد ساحق. https://t.co/3IRIL9HIaS pic.twitter.com/2V2TjGu27J
— غرفة الأخبار (@NewsroomAR) June 28, 2026
Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and transit routes
The military escalation coincided with an intensifying dispute over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran’s military, according to Al Jazeera, saying that control of the strait is not aimed at generating revenue, but rather at using it as a strategic deterrent against the United States.
The IRGC stressed that safe passage must be conducted through routes determined by Iran, considering that some parties had announced a new route without coordination with Tehran.
In response, Oman announced the provision of a temporary and free maritime corridor in coordination with the International Maritime Organization to regulate ship traffic and ensure safe passage, in an attempt to ease tension in one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.
Data from the Kepler platform, according to Al Jazeera, showed 27 ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the past day, with 15 entering and 12 leaving, while 10 ships used the southern corridor near Omani waters, which has become a point of contention between Iran and other maritime parties.
The report also noted that two commercial ships were attacked within 48 hours, the latest being the tanker “Kiko” flying the Panamanian flag, a day after the ship “Ever Lovely” was targeted off the Omani coast.
Military analysis of the mutual strikes
Military expert Colonel Nidal Abu Zeid said the US strikes focused on Sirik and Qeshm Island, with indications of targeting the Jork area, explaining that these sites are linked to systems used to guide drones and manage Iran’s naval capabilities.
He added that images released by US Central Command indicate the targeting of warehouses likely used to store drones or naval mines, as part of reducing the IRGC’s capabilities to influence navigation.
He noted that the United States escalated its operations from targeting 4 targets to 10 targets within 90 minutes, while Iran likewise increased the number of announced targets from two to eight or nine, in a gradual mutual escalation.
He explained that Iran did not target the US aircraft carrier, but rather focused on US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, according to what the IRGC announced.
Gulf positions and warnings against escalation
Director General of the Middle East Council for International Affairs Dr. Khaled Al-Jaber said the Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain represent a violation of sovereignty and a threat to investment and development in the Gulf.
He added that the region is returning to monitoring thousands of missiles and drones, which he said numbered more than 7,400, considering that Iran is trying to disrupt the “alternative maritime route” launched by Oman in coordination with the International Maritime Organization.
For his part, Head of the Al-Madar Center for Political Studies Dr. Saleh Al-Mutairi said Iran seeks to establish an equation that makes the Strait of Hormuz a strategic pressure card, while threatening to respond to any targeting through threatening navigation or Gulf states.
He added that Gulf states are working to prevent the expansion of the war, pointing to the role of Qatar and Pakistan in reaching the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington.
He believed that navigation stability is linked to field behavior more than political agreements, warning against attempts to turn the safe passage clause into a tool for imposing unilateral maritime routes.
Washington-Tehran negotiations and escalation scenarios
This escalation comes despite the United States and Iran signing a memorandum of understanding on June 17, and the start of negotiations aimed at ending the confrontation and ensuring the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
As both sides exchanged accusations of violating the memorandum, US President Donald Trump hinted at resuming military operations against Iran if attacks on ships in the strait continued, while Iran’s IRGC confirmed that the response would be harsher if US strikes were repeated, in an indication of continued tension in one of the world’s most important waterways.
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