Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - U.S. and Saudi forces carried out strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq after a wave of drone attacks on American forces. At the same time, Iran has rejected Oman’s proposal for joint regional management of the Strait of Hormuz, deepening the diplomatic deadlock.

The strikes hit logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq, with the U.S. military saying the response followed more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks in the previous 72 hours. Officials described the operation as retaliatory and said the targeted attacks on U.S. forces had not succeeded. The broader tension is now spilling into the Strait of Hormuz, where Oman had floated a joint-management proposal aimed at easing regional friction. Tehran has dismissed the idea as unworkable and said it has no chance of success, signaling that the waterway remains a major flashpoint in the wider conflict.

The twin developments show that military pressure and diplomacy are moving in opposite directions. With strikes widening in Iraq and no agreement on Hormuz, the regional crisis appears to be entering another more volatile phase.