Trump Says US Struck Iran 'Very Hard' as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate Rapidly Across Persian Gulf

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States hit Iran "very hard" overnight, responding to renewed Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz that Trump said derailed talks he described as nearing a breakthrough.

"We hit them very hard last night," Trump told CNN by telephone, in an interview centered mainly on the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. Trump said the U.S. and Iran had been close to reaching "a deal" on Saturday before the situation deteriorated. "They were giving up everything, and then all of a sudden, two hours after that, they hit a ship with a drone. These people, there is something wrong with them," he said.

The latest exchange follows a pattern of escalating strikes since a ceasefire memorandum signed by Trump and Iran's president on June 17 began breaking down amid disputes over safe passage through the strait. U.S. Central Command said Sunday that the waterway remained open despite Iranian claims to the contrary. "The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway," CENTCOM said on X, adding that U.S. forces "are positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unwarranted Iranian aggression."

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused Washington of failing to honor the agreement. "The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking," he wrote on X.

Qatar's military said it intercepted several ballistic missiles Sunday, while Kuwait reported confronting "hostile aerial targets" in its airspace and Oman said drone strikes hit sites in Musandam Governorate. Air raid sirens also sounded in Bahrain, though no attacks were officially confirmed there. This is a developing story.