Barbara Plett Usher
Reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, Getty Images

The battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz has stalled movement towards ending the wider conflict.

Iran pledged to open the strait, according to the terms of its interim deal with Washington, but it has been firing on commercial vessels it says are using an unauthorised route.

The US military says its latest round of strikes has continued to degrade Iran’s ability to attack international shipping. And it insists that traffic is still able to flow through the strait.

The Trump administration needs that to happen to bring oil prices down ahead of midterm elections in November.

Attempts by mediators to resolve the dispute at the weekend failed – and it’s clear how important control of the strait is to Iran: more important than dozens of atomic bombs, senior Iranian officials have said.

It’s believed neither side wants to return to all-out war, but analysts say they are in a state of controlled escalation.

In our next post, we'll bring you an update on the tracking of ship movement in the strait.

Mitch Labiak
Live business reporter

European stock investors appeared to shrug off the latest news about military attacks between the US and Iran as the major markets all opened flat.

The FTSE 100 index of the largest firms listed in London, as well as its French and German equivalents, the Cac 40 and the Dax, were all flat in early trading, not moving since Friday's close.

US markets will open at 09:30 in New York (14:30 BST), but current bets on the future price of shares in that market suggest the S&P 500 index could be down by about half a per cent when share trading begins.

Meanwhile, oil prices jumped at the start of trading as Brent crude - the global benchmark wholesale oil price - surged almost 5% early on Monday to over $79 (£59) a barrel.

Image source, Reuters

Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf - who has been the country's chief negotiator with the US - said on Sunday the era of "one-sided deals is over".

He added in a post on X: "We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking."

Iran's foreign ministry also accused the US of causing "the return of insecurity" in the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, in a brief phone interview on Sunday, US President Donald Trump said to Reuters: "We're beating them up," referring to Iran.

From hopes of peace, to regular attacks - here's a recap on how we got here:

• 17 June - US and Iran sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU), supposedly putting an end to the conflict - and beginning a further 60 days of negotiations

• 26 June - The US launches fresh strikes on Iran after Donald Trump accuses the country of a "foolish violation" of its truce, following an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz
• 7 July - The US launches approximately 80 more strikes at Iran in response to attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran targets US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait
• 8 July - Trump declares the ceasefire with Iran "over", calling the country's leadership as "scum" and "cuckoo" - see our clip below
• 11 July - US officials demand that Iran publicly state the Strait of Hormuz is open
• 12 July - The US launches its latest wave of attacks on Iran following further attacks in the strait, with Iran retaliating through several strikes at US bases in the region

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has attacked radar systems in Oman as part of its retaliatory strikes against the US, Iranian state media reports.

It follows earlier statements in which they said they had attacked sites in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

The attacks came in retaliation to overnight attacks made by the US on dozens of Iranian military installations.

Mitch Labiak
Live business reporter

Oil prices jumped at the start of trading, following news Iran had hit commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, with the US then carrying out more attacks on Iran.

One fifth of the world's oil and gas usually flows through the key waterway south of Iran which the country had effectively closed in response to the start of the US-Israel war with Iran at the end of February.

Brent crude, the global benchmark wholesale oil price, surged almost 5% early on Monday to over $79 a barrel.

Despite the rise, prices remain far below the near $120 a barrel peak reached during the height of the war.

Before the conflict began, oil was trading at around $70 a barrel.

Following overnight strikes by the US, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it attacked several bases linked to the US in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

Via Iranian state media, the group says it struck two US-linked air bases in Kuwait, as well as army infrastructure and a drone command centre in Bahrain, and the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan.

Bahrain's interior ministry has issued several warnings over the last four hours, urging citizens to head to safe locations.

The Jordanian military shot down four Iranian missiles that entered its airspace on Monday, a Jordanian source tells the AFP news agency.

Meanwhile the Kuwaiti military says it "intercepted hostile aerial targets" within the country's airspace.

Image source, Centcom

In its first update, posted on Sunday evening, US Central Command (Centcom) said its strikes aimed to degrade Iran’s ability to "attack civilian mariners and commercial ships" in the Strait of Hormuz, after a series of attacks in the waterway.

In a separate post, published at 03:30 BST, Centcom said it had "completed" its attacks.

It said it had struck air defence-systems, coastal radar sites, naval vessels and missile and drone sites.

"The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Iran does not control it," said Centcom.

"US forces are postured and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping despite Iran’s continued unwarranted aggression."

The US said its attacks involved "fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way attack aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones for the first time".

Image source, Centcom

The US military has carried out a wave of strikes on Iran overnight - targeting dozens of Iranian military installations, including air-defence systems, coastal radar facilities, and missile and drone sites.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it retaliated with strikes on US military bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain.

The US says the attacks are a response to Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz - Iran says the waterway is closed until further notice, while the US insists it is open.

In a statement detailing Sunday night's strikes, Centcom said US forces are "postured and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping".

In June, both sides agreed a ceasefire as part of a "memorandum of understanding" - but last week, Donald Trump said the ceasefire was "over", while calling Iran's leadership "scum".

We'll have all the latest news from Iran, Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain on this page - while bringing you analysis from our teams across the world.