Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held telephone talks on Monday with his counterparts in Egypt, Qatar and Jordan to coordinate efforts to contain the escalating conflict and reinforce regional security, as the United States launched a new wave of attacks on Iran and hostilities spread to Bahrain, Kuwait and shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The diplomatic contacts focused on the rapidly evolving regional situation and ways to de-escalate tensions. Iran’s ISNA news agency reported that Qatar and Pakistan had submitted a joint proposal calling on Tehran and Washington to return to the positions they held before July 9 as a first step toward restarting negotiations.
The consultations came as US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced another round of strikes against Iran, saying the operation would continue targeting military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM also said on Sunday that a US service member had been killed in northern Iraq while disposing of unexploded ordnance from an Iranian drone that had fallen earlier. The death brought the confirmed number of US military personnel killed since the United States and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran on February 28 to 17.
US President Donald Trump said the latest strikes were carried out in response to the deaths of American service members, adding that Iran had once again suffered heavy damage.
The Washington Post, citing a US official, reported that Washington was preparing for the possibility of a broader conflict and that the Pentagon was deploying additional military aircraft to the region. The official cautioned, however, that any expansion of operations would be constrained by dwindling air-defence and long-range ammunition stockpiles, as well as limits on the deployment of additional forces.
CENTCOM also said it had disabled one vessel and diverted six commercial ships as part of the US naval blockade on Iran. It added that the guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn remained engaged in enforcing the restrictions.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted US forces and facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, including Sakhir Air Base and Salman Port in Bahrain and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, during what it described as the 23rd wave of its military operations.
Kuwait’s military said its air defence systems were responding to hostile missile and drone attacks, while Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reactivated warning sirens and urged residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.
Bahrain’s Defence Force said it had intercepted several Iranian aerial attacks, accusing Tehran of deliberately targeting civilians and critical infrastructure. Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry also condemned attacks on civilian facilities and aviation navigation equipment and called on the international community to pressure Iran to halt its military campaign.
At sea, Greek shipping company Dynacom Tankers said two vessels under its management were struck by projectiles of unknown origin while sailing off the coast of Oman.
The Malta-flagged tanker Cavomalias was hit twice, triggering a fire in its engine room and forcing the crew to abandon ship. Omani authorities later rescued all crew members and brought them safely ashore, the company said.
An Iranian military spokesperson warned that Gulf states accused of cooperating with the United States could face difficulties transiting the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iranian forces controlled the strategic waterway and would not permit equipment used against Iran to pass through it.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran had made no concessions in its memorandum of understanding with Washington but acknowledged that the country was in a state of war requiring unity, collective decision-making and realism. He warned that prolonged economic pressure could undermine both military gains and domestic social cohesion.
Inside Iran, state media reported that an air-defence officer was killed in a US strike on Tabriz, while additional strikes targeted sites in Shiraz without causing reported casualties.
Separately, France’s foreign minister said two employees at the French embassy in Tehran had been detained for several hours and intimidated by Iranian security personnel, describing the incident as unacceptable and warning that it would have consequences.
