Ships in the Strait of Hormuz: Iran claims to have completely closed the Strait again, the USA contradicts it.Image: keystone
The USA and Iran massively attacked each other on Thursday night (Swiss time). The conflict is escalating again, even though a ceasefire has actually been in effect since April.
June 11, 2026, 06:47June 11, 2026, 06:51
That’s what happened
The USA and Iran attacked each other again on Thursday night (Swiss time). The latest events represent the largest escalation since the ceasefire began at the beginning of April. In response to the first US attacks, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz to be completely closed again. The USA contradicted this representation. Donald Trump accused Iran of serious ceasefire violations.
The current developments are always in the ticker:
This is what is known about the US attacks
The attacks on Thursday night (Swiss time) were initiated by the USA. Donald Trump announced corresponding actions after he had recently publicly called on Iran to sign an agreement.
A few hours after Trump’s words, Iranian state media reported explosions in the area of several port cities along the southern coast. Accordingly, two people were injured. According to the Irna news agency and radio, explosions were also observed near the cities of Minab and Sirik. According to reports, there were also further detonations on the island of Gheshm and in the port city of Bandar Abbas.
There are also said to have been several attacks near the Iranian capital Tehran. Iranian state radio continued to report explosions in the commuter metropolis of Karaj, which is only a few kilometers away from the city of Tehran. Combat drones have been spotted further west of Karaj. Details on this were initially not available.
The attacks appeared to have been carried out over several hours. The US Middle East Command declared the operations over early Thursday morning, Swiss time. Military reconnaissance facilities, communications systems and air defense positions across the country were attacked, posing a threat to US forces and international merchant ships. The US military remains vigilant and ready to fight, it said.
This is known about the Iranian reaction
Iran responded immediately with renewed attacks on US facilities in the American-allied states of Kuwait and Bahrain. The aviation authorities in Kuwait therefore closed the airspace to civil aviation early in the morning. The army said air defense was in action. The sirens also blared in Bahrain, as the Interior Ministry announced. Residents were urged to remain calm and find the nearest safe place.
According to Iranian reports, the US Navy’s regional headquarters in Bahrain was attacked with kamikaze drones. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard also said it had attacked two US bases in Kuwait. A total of 18 targets were attacked. The targets were, among other things, anti-aircraft systems. All information cannot be independently verified.
In Kuwait the alarm sirens sounded again about Iranian attacks. (archive image)Image: keystone
That’s what Trump says
According to a media report, US President Donald Trump accused Tehran of a particularly serious breach of the current ceasefire. It is “the most frequently broken ceasefire in the history of the world,” a reporter from the US broadcaster Fox News quoted from a conversation with the president. It remained unclear which incident Trump was specifically referring to with this accusation.
Trump has promised an end to the bombings soon, Fox News reporter Trey Yingst reported on the
Donald Trump continues to erratic in his rhetoric toward Iran.Image: keystone
That’s what Iran says
In addition to the information about the attack targets, the Iranian regime stated that it had completely closed the Strait of Hormuz again in response to the US attacks. Officially, the Iranian military headquarters justified the alleged complete closure with a “changed security situation” after the renewed US attacks. All ships are prohibited from passing through the strait. This also applies to oil tankers and freighters, it was said.
Shortly after the war began at the end of February, the Islamic Republic largely brought traffic in the strait to a standstill through threats and attacks on ships. Tehran recently emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz was not blocked. In practice, however, shipping companies had to coordinate with Iranian contact points and were then only allowed to pass through a corridor near the Iranian coast. Iran charges high fees for this. According to Tehran, several ships had recently passed through the strait.
The US contradicted Iran’s latest portrayal. Contrary to claims about a complete closure, Iran does not have absolute control over the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier in the evening, US President Donald Trump also spoke of a “secret mission” by the US military, through which numerous ships had been smuggled past Iranian units in the area in recent weeks. This information has not yet been independently verified.
Expert: Escalation or concessions by the USA
The recent escalation is the most serious since a ceasefire was declared at the beginning of April. Since then there have been unsuccessful attempts at negotiations, but the parties are far apart. In reality there is a stalemate.
Israeli Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz believes that further escalation is likely without an early agreement. “But escalation alone is unlikely to result in significant concessions from Iran,” he wrote on X. Ultimately, no military operation, “whether limited or extensive, short or long, will force Iran to accept an agreement on US terms.”
If Trump really wants an agreement, he would have to at least address some of Iran’s core demands, Citrinowicz wrote.
“If he is not willing to do this, he will have to prepare for a protracted confrontation instead of a negotiated solution.”
con with material from the news agencies sda and dpa.