TEHRAN — Iran on Monday announced a significant expansion of its retaliatory military campaign against United States forces across the Persian Gulf region, saying coordinated missile, drone, and air-defense operations targeted American military infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Oman in response to “continued US aggression against Iranian territory.”

The latest escalation marks one of the most extensive exchanges between the two countries in recent years, with Iranian officials warning that continued American military operations would invite broader retaliation while reaffirming that security in the Strait of Hormuz should remain the responsibility of regional states rather than outside powers.

In a series of statements, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Army said the operations were launched after new US strikes on military positions and infrastructure in southern Iran, describing the attacks as violations of Iran's sovereignty and international law.

Iranian military officials portrayed the campaign as a coordinated response carried out in multiple phases by the IRGC Aerospace Force, Ground Force, Navy, and units of the Army, saying the operations demonstrated Tehran's ability to strike US military assets across West Asia.

According to the IRGC, the first phase targeted Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, where missile and drone strikes hit fuel depots, ammunition storage facilities, and missile warehouses supporting US military operations.

The second phase focused on Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, where the Guard Corps said it struck helicopter maintenance facilities, a hangar housing a P-8 electronic warfare aircraft, and a command-and-control center used for US drone operations.

Subsequent phases shifted toward Kuwait, where the IRGC announced that it had destroyed a US HIMARS missile base, while the Iranian Army announced separate drone attacks against locations hosting American personnel, air defense systems, missile batteries, and logistical facilities.

Iran later said the campaign expanded to Oman, where the IRGC Navy reported coordinated missile and drone strikes against American long-range air-surveillance and maritime detection radar systems. The force also announced additional attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain, saying fires broke out following the strikes.

Air defenses activated

Alongside its offensive operations, Iran’s integrated air-defense network intercepted and destroyed a hostile US drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, using a surface-to-air missile.
The announcement came a day after the IRGC said one of its newly deployed air-defense systems had intercepted a US cruise missile near Khorramabad.
Iranian commanders said the interceptions demonstrated the continued effectiveness of the country's layered air-defense capabilities despite ongoing US military operations.

Strait of Hormuz emerges as central flashpoint

The Strait of Hormuz has become the principal arena of the latest confrontation.

Iranian officials said the escalation began after the IRGC Navy intercepted two vessels that had switched off their tracking systems and attempted to transit the strategic waterway through unauthorized routes.

The vessels posed a threat to maritime safety. At the same time, subsequent US military strikes against Iranian coastal positions were an unlawful response to Iran's maritime enforcement measures.

Iran has repeatedly maintained that ensuring security in the Strait of Hormuz is the sovereign responsibility of the coastal states and that the presence of foreign military forces has become the principal source of instability in the waterway.

The IRGC reiterated on Monday that restoring normal commercial shipping depends on the cessation of US military intervention in the Strait and respect for the sovereignty of regional countries over their territorial waters.

It warned that continued foreign military interference could have broader consequences for global oil and gas markets.

Trump advocates US control of waterway

The military developments coincided with fresh remarks by US President Donald Trump, who suggested that Washington should assume long-term control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking in a telephone interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump said the United States would likely "take over" the Strait and become its "guardian," claiming that other countries benefiting from the waterway should compensate Washington financially for protecting maritime traffic.

"We're going to keep the strait, and we'll probably run it," Trump said. "We're going to guard it, and we're going to get paid for guarding it."

Trump also claimed that Iran has been repeatedly violating previous agreements, saying Washington would respond forcefully to Tehran's actions and insisting that the United States could not be expected to secure international shipping without financial reimbursement from allied countries.

His remarks came as Iran continued to suspend navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following “unauthorized vessel movements” that threatened maritime safety.

Trump's comments reinforce longstanding Iranian concerns that the United States seeks to establish a permanent military role in one of the region's most strategic waterways.

Iranian officials argue that such statements confirm Washington's intention to expand its military presence rather than contribute to regional stability, insisting that maritime security should be managed exclusively by the countries bordering the Persian Gulf.

Iran's Armed Forces, including the IRGC, on Monday reaffirmed that Tehran will not allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any regional support for Washington's military activities would be regarded as an act of hostility against Tehran.

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spokesperson Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari said repeated US efforts to intervene in the strategic waterway had endangered regional security, international trade, and the safe passage of commercial vessels and oil tankers.

Zolfaqari warned that any logistical or military cooperation by regional countries with US forces would be considered an act of war against Iran.

Separately, IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said the United States had seriously jeopardized global oil and gas security through its intervention in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that Iran would continue to exercise its sovereignty and maintain control over the strategic waterway with "strength and determination."

Mohebbi added that Iran would compel foreign powers to respect the will of the Iranian nation, asserting that previous US objectives regarding the Strait had already been thwarted and warning that any further attempts to challenge Iran's position would end in greater failure for Washington.

Escalation raises regional stakes

The widening exchange of missiles, drones, and air strikes has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict involving several Persian Gulf states hosting US military installations.

Iranian officials have emphasized that their military campaign targets American military infrastructure involved in attacks against the Islamic Republic, while warning that any continuation of US operations would trigger more comprehensive retaliatory measures.

With military exchanges now extending across Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Oman, and with competing narratives emerging over the future security architecture of the Strait of Hormuz, the confrontation has entered a more complicated phase that threatens not only regional stability but also global energy markets and international maritime trade.