Overnight into Monday, Iran and the United States exchanged attacks for the first time in more than a month, raising the possibility of rekindling the destructive confrontation following weeks of more peaceful military relations.

In response to a strike on Iranian rocket launchers that the US claimed were attempting to launch sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping route that has become the focal point of regional tensions and diplomatic efforts, Iran launched missiles toward US military targets in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

Days after President Donald Trump declared the Strait of Hormuz to be mine-free, the exchange of strikes marked a departure from Washington's recent emphasis on applying as much economic pressure as possible on Iran rather than using force.

The US and Iran have been fighting for control of the waterway, which is vital to the world's energy supplies, for six months. Tehran is claiming the right to control it by regularly attacking ships, while the US is determined to maintain traffic flow by directing ships and imposing a military blockade on Iranian ports.

According to Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command (CENTCOM), the US strike on Sunday targeted two Iranian rocket launchers on Iran's Larak Island, where it saw Iranian personnel getting ready to launch rockets carrying mines into the strait.

"Restricted, accurate action"

In a subsequent post on X, CENTCOM stated that the military had taken "limited, precise action" against Iran's "minelaying forces posing an imminent threat" in the vital canal.

"To protect civilian mariners, commercial shipping, and the free flow of global commerce, the US military eliminated the threat that Iran had created."

According to state media, locals heard an explosion close to the island, a small landmass off the coast of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, which resulted in civilian and Iranian military casualties.

"We're not looking for conflict... However, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Monday that "we will never sit idly by in the face of aggression, and we are capable of delivering a decisive response," according to state broadcaster IRIB.

According to a statement released by state broadcaster IRIB, the nation's formidable Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) pledged revenge and described the US strike as "a strategic and deadly mistake" by the Trump administration.

Iran claimed to have attacked US military outposts in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates by Monday morning.

Eight missiles were intercepted and destroyed by Jordan's air defense systems, according to the country's military services. According to the military, the rockets were eliminated before they could endanger people or property.

Following earlier allegations in Iranian state media that Iran's Revolutionary Guards had targeted a base housing US personnel there, the UAE discovered a drone over its territorial waters.

According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, the UAE disputed that the base had been targeted and denounced the strike as a "dangerous escalation," adding that it "reserves the full right to respond."

At the height of the conflict earlier this year, the UAE was one of the most often targeted nations; however, attacks had drastically decreased in recent months, despite Iran's continuous attacks on other Arab countries.

According to the Trump administration, CENTCOM finished removing sea mines from the waterway's international shipping channels last week. Last Tuesday, Trump declared, "Iran has been informed that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed."

According to a US official, "US forces are closely monitoring the area and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway."

The White House directed CNN to US Central Command for comment on the most recent strikes.

Stalled negotiations

Talks between the two nations have stagnated six months after the start of the conflict, and the White House declared on Thursday that no conversations are currently taking place.

However, talks between Iran and Oman are still ongoing regarding a plan to reopen the strait to shipping.

Iranian authorities have frequently connected the future of navigation via the strait to more general discussions with Washington and changes in regional security, while regional mediators, such as Qatar, have supported the negotiations.

The president of the United Arab Emirates' adviser, Anwar Gargash, stated on Monday that "the state of neither war nor peace cannot be a sustainable solution."

In a post on X, he stated that "realistic and sustainable political solutions that address the political and economic dimensions of the crisis are what are needed today."

The attack on Sunday was the first time the United States has attacked Iran since July 29, when it carried out a "heavy wave of strikes" in retaliation for an attempted attack on American military installations the previous day.

In recent weeks, Trump has prioritized inflicting more economic hardship on Iran over taking military action, asserting last week that the US's financial might will propel the nation "toward a very big victory." Calling it a "economic D-Day," the US Treasury Department has threatened to impose harsh new penalties on nations that do not sever economic links with Iran.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters on Sunday that the agency would probably announce fresh secondary economic penalties on Iran every week, initially concentrating on banks.

Prior to a meeting of the Group of 20 finance chiefs, Bessent stated, "You're going to see a lot more of these every week." "We're starting with the banks, and we're telling them it's not acceptable to have Iranian money and to support the regime."

Following the US assault on Iran, oil prices surged on Sunday. US crude increased 2.7% to $85.64 per barrel, while Brent crude, the global standard, increased 2.8% to $90.57 per barrel.