Iran widens attacks 

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, July 13: U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged heavy missile and drone attacks over the weekend and into Monday, with Tehran saying it had struck U.S. military facilities across the Gulf and kept the Strait of Hormuz closed, driving oil prices higher.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday they had targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, destroyed radar systems in Oman, and hit fuel tanks and ammunition depots at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan in response to U.S. strikes.

The U.S. military said it had struck Iranian air defence systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities and small boats on Sunday, using aircraft, naval vessels and drones.

Explosions were heard on Monday in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz and on nearbyQeshm Island, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported, citing local residents. Reuters could not independently verify the report.

Bahrain said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed several Iranian missile and drone attacks early on Monday.

The latest exchanges mark a sharp escalation in both the pace and geographic reach of attacks over the past week, casting doubt on an interim U.S.-Iranian agreementsigned last month to reopen the strait and halt hostilities while the sides pursued a further 60 days of negotiations.

In a brief phone interview with Reuters on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the weekend's strikes on Iran. "We're beating them up," he said.

Trump has said he considers the ceasefire over, while leaving the door open to further talks.

Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad BaqerQalibaf, struck a similarly defiant tone, posting on X on Sunday: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking."

The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28 has destabilised the Gulf, and spread across the region, with Iran attacking U.S. bases in multiple countries.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil supplies, has become one of the main battlegrounds of the conflict. Iran's effective blockade of the strait has pushed up energy prices and increased concerns about inflation globally.

Brent crude rose more than 2% on Monday on fears of disruption to one of the world's most important energy shipping routes, although prices remained below the peaks reached earlier in the conflict.

Higher energy prices, particularly gasoline costs, are politically sensitive for Trump ahead of November's congressional elections.    �"REUTERS