ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran on Monday retaliated against a US strike on Larak Island by targeting American bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking the first major military escalation in a month.

The US struck Iranian missile launchers it claimed were readying to launch mine-laden projectiles into the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency claimed the attack killed at least two people and injured two others, per unofficial reports.

Iran responded to the attack by targeting the US’ Malik Hussein and al-Azraq bases in Jordan, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said.

“Aggression and crime will not solve the enemy's desperation to weaken the Islamic Republic's control over the Strait of Hormuz, and every shot will be met with a more crushing response,” the IRGC warned.

Iran also targeted the al-Manhad airbase in the UAE later in the day “with dozens of drones,” according to a statement issued hours later.

The Guard also claimed to have downed a long-range American MQ9 drone in the early hours of Monday over the Strait of Hormuz, which “fell” into the water.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in an X post late Sunday that its forces took “limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz,” denying that its attack on Larak Island constitutes an “act of aggression.”

The exchange of strikes comes after Iran and Oman on Tuesday discussed a “phased” framework that could provide a “practical and workable basis” for restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a joint statement said on Tuesday.

IRGC-affiliated media said early Monday morning that a tanker caught fire in the waterway after hitting two sea mines, warning that a similar fate awaits any ship that violates Iran’s security regulations for navigating the strait.

US President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that "all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” in a post on the Truth Social platform.

Washington and Tehran reached a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 17 to end hostilities and resume negotiations for 60 days. A key Washington condition in the MoU was free navigation in the strait.

The deal fell apart only 21 days later after CENTCOM said Iranian forces had attacked a Cyprus-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the MoU, the waterway remains blocked, disrupting one of the world’s most strategic energy routes.