US claims Strait of Hormuz is 'open' despite launching new strikes against Iran
US forces say they are 'positioned and prepared' to make sure ships can move freely despite 'unwarranted Iranian aggression'.
Donald Trump has said that the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial traffic, though the US and Iran continue to trade attacks that have raised safety concerns on one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.
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Throughout the day, Iran has insisted that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed, but the US President claimed the opposite during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press.
US Central Command said US forces are "positioned and prepared" to make sure ships can move freely despite "unwarranted Iranian aggression". "Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing," it said.
Meanwhile, US and Iranian forces have exchanged heavy missile and drone assaults, with Tehran targeting US facilities in states across the Gulf on Sunday and saying it had again closed the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Read More: US and Iran trade strikes as Tehran closes Strait of Hormuz 'until further notice'
The strikes were the latest in another cycle of attacks and counter-attacks has taken place as Iran seeks to assert control over shipping through the strait. However, the barrage marked an escalation in pace and range.
The strikes extended to Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire talks that had not come under attack since April, while the United Arab Emirates, which had not been targeted since early May, said its air defences had engaged missiles and drones from Iran.
The US military began launching more strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET (10 om BST) on Sunday. US Central Command said in a statement on X that they were “to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
US President Donald Trump referred to this weekend's strikes on Iran as "beating them up".
Iranian media on Sunday said there had been missile attacks and explosions around the port of Bandar Abbas, home to military facilities on the strait, and nearby Qeshm Island.
The renewed violence casts further doubt on the future of an interim US-Iranian agreement signed last month that aimed to reopen the strait and end the war after a further 60 days of negotiations.
In the past week, Mr Trump has said he considers the ceasefire over, while leaving the door open to more talks.
The war that the US and Israel launched against Iran on February 28 has destabilised the Gulf, where Iran has struck countries hosting US bases.
Iran's effective blockade of the strait has driven energy prices higher, fuelling global inflation. Higher prices, especially for gasoline, are politically sensitive for Mr Trump ahead of November's congressional elections.