The United States broadened its aerial offensive against Iran on Monday, striking military targets near the city of Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power plant, as Iran responded with attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.

Iranian media reported that U.S. strikes also targeted areas around Tabriz, where underground missile facilities are believed to be located.

In a statement, the U.S. military said its latest operation struck military command centers, air defense systems, coastal surveillance installations, maritime assets, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks across Iran.

Tehran retaliated by launching attacks against Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, as well as Kuwait. Iranian forces also reportedly targeted commercial tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that previously carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies before the conflict escalated.

The latest exchange marks another sharp escalation in hostilities between Washington and Tehran, raising fears that the region could slide back toward full-scale war despite an interim peace agreement reached last month.

Fighting has severely disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with shipping activity slowing dramatically amid ongoing security concerns.

The renewed violence has also rattled global energy markets, pushing oil prices above $90 a barrel—the highest level in a month—and adding further pressure to an already strained global economy.

The escalation comes even as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at halting attacks and reopening the Strait of Hormuz remains in effect.

The agreement, which established a 60-day implementation period to create space for diplomatic negotiations, is now more than halfway through its timeline.

Despite continued diplomatic contacts, the latest military exchanges underscore the fragile state of the ceasefire and the growing uncertainty surrounding efforts to secure a lasting resolution to the conflict.