The US military launched fresh strikes on Iran after it struck a container ship on Sunday, while Tehran said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and escalated attacks on US facilities in states across the Gulf.
A series of attacks between the US and Iran over the past several days led President Donald Trump to declare the end of a ceasefire meant to halt the fighting that the US and Israel began on February 28, though Trump has left the door open to continued negotiations.
Iran said it closed the strait after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel traveling on an unapproved route. It warned that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response”.
US Central Command, however, said commercial vessels continue to transit through the waterway that carried one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG shipments before the war.
US strikes military site near Yasuj in southwestern Iran
Iranian security officials say US forces have targeted a military installation on the outskirts of Yasuj in Iran’s southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, according to the IRIB news agency, Al Jazeera reported.
Drones hit sites in Oman’s Musandam Governorate
Drones hit sites in Oman’s Musandam Governorate on Sunday, the country’s state-run news agency reported, after Iran claimed attacks on US military sites in regional countries.
“Oman condemned and denounced the attack,” Oman News Agency stated on X, citing a security source.
Muscat is taking all necessary measures to handle the situation and safeguard the country’s security, the media outlet added.
Meanwhile, sirens sounded three times in Bahrain, with the Bahraini Interior Ministry calling on the public to “head to the nearest safest place.”
Jordan says 3 Iranian missiles fell on its territory, no casualties
Three missiles launched from Iran fell on the Jordanian territory early Sunday, without causing any human casualties, an official source from the Jordanian army said.
The damage was limited to minor material losses, Jordan’s state-run news agency Petro reported, citing the source.
Qatar says 3 injured by falling debris after intercepting Iranian attacks
Three people, including a child, were injured in Qatar on Sunday due to falling debris from interception operations following Iranian attacks, the Qatari Interior Ministry said.
“The injured are receiving the necessary care,” the ministry said in a statement on X.
Security authorities and Civil Defense teams had activated emergency response procedures in line with approved contingency plans following the attacks, it added.
💢 Three people, including a child, were injured in Qatar due to falling debris from interception operations following Iranian attacks, the Qatari Interior Ministry said
➡️ Earlier, Iran said it launched attacks on US military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Oman… pic.twitter.com/IxFalL2Vy0
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) July 12, 2026
Multiple locations in Iran’s Khuzestan struck by projectiles: state media
Several areas in Iran’s Khuzestan province have reportedly been hit by projectiles, IRNA news agency reported. Khuzestan Deputy Governor for Security and Law Enforcement Valiollah Hayati says the strikes target the cities of Hendijan, Mahshahr and Abadan.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Deputy Governor of Khuzestan for Security and Law Enforcement Affairs Valiollah Hayati said that enemy projectiles struck Hendijan, Mahshahr, and Abadan. pic.twitter.com/5A292ezkPy
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) July 12, 2026
UAE intercepts Iranian missiles, drones as IRGC claims strike on US bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar
The United Arab Emirates said Sunday that its air defense systems intercepted incoming Iranian missiles and drones, as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it targeted US military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar.
The UAE Ministry of Defense said air defenses were actively “engaging” incoming missiles and drones from Iran, adding that explosions heard across the country were caused by defense systems intercepting the projectiles.
الآن تتعامل الدفاعات الجوية مع تهديـد صاروخي، يرجى البقاء في مكان آمن ومتابعة التحذيرات والمستجدات على المواقــع الرسميـة.
Air defense systems are currently dealing with a missile threat. Please remain in a safe place and follow warnings and updates on the official channels pic.twitter.com/m02jM4j8Vo
— وزارة الداخلية (@moiuae) July 12, 2026
In neighboring Qatar, the Interior Ministry said the security threat level is high and urged people to remain inside their homes or other safe places. It also urged residents to follow official safety instructions and avoid unnecessary movement.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said air raid sirens have been activated, urging the public to remain calm.
“Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” it said.
Separately, the IRGC said it had targeted a US military base in Jordan, claiming it destroyed the command and control center and MQ-9 drone hangars at Prince Hassan Air Base in response to US attacks
In a statement released by the IRGC’s Public Relations office, the force accused the US of attempting to “impose its will” on Oman by encouraging several vessels to take an “illegal course” through the southern Strait of Hormuz, saying the move was met with “a decisive response” from the Iranian navy.
The IRGC also said the US military later carried out airstrikes.
“The American child-killing army, in an attempt to compensate for this failure, launched an aerial attack against several coastal bases and communication towers on the southern coast. As we had promised, they immediately received a crushing response to their aggression,” it said.
It said the IRGC Aerospace Force then launched the first phase of its retaliation against US military positions.
“In the first phase of this response, they targeted critical military infrastructure and facilities at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, destroying the base’s command and control center and the hangars for MQ9 drones with several ballistic missiles,” said the statement.
The IRGC warned that “continued aggression by the treacherous American regime will result in even stronger responses”.
The army also claimed it used explosive drones to target a Patriot air defense system, an ammunition depot, and a radar site belonging to the US military in Kuwait.
It also claimed that a second US vessel was struck and disabled in the Strait of Hormuz, while the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar was targeted in a second round of retaliatory ballistic missile strikes.
The base’s fighter jet maintenance center and command headquarters were also targeted, it added.
The IRGC also claimed it carried out a “heavy and surprise” attack on logistics support centers and refueling platforms used by US aircraft carriers at the Port of Duqm in Oman, according to the IRIB state broadcaster.
The IRGC’s public relations office told IRIB that the sites were “destroyed”.
The US launched a third round of strikes targeting radar, missile, and drone sites across southern Iran.
The attacks came after Iran opened fire on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and announced the closure of the strategic waterway until further notice, with one crew member missing, according to CENTCOM.
Other intercepts, attacks
Kuwait’s armed forces said it is intercepting hostile aerial targets inside its airspace.
The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army said any explosions heard were the result of air defense systems intercepting hostile attacks.
It urged the public to follow safety and security instructions issued by authorities.
#URGENT Kuwait’s Armed Forces say it is intercepting hostile aerial targets in Kuwaiti airspace; explosions heard from air defense systems responding to attacks
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) July 12, 2026
Separately, Qatar’s Defense Ministry said the Qatari Armed Forces successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting the country.
The interior ministry said the security threat has been eliminated and the situation has returned to normal.
It urged the public to continue following instructions and guidance issued by authorities.
Ministry of Defense Announces Interception of Number of Missile Attack Targeting the State#QNA #Qatarhttps://t.co/HFukuxdQN6 pic.twitter.com/vBWtf31Gsk
— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) July 12, 2026
Earlier, the interior ministry had warned that the security threat level in the country was high and urged residents to remain in their homes, avoid going outside, and stay away from windows and open areas to help protect public safety.
Later on Sunday morning, Bahrain echoed with sirens for the second time, with the Interior Ministry urging residents to evacuate to the nearest safe places.
‘Era of one-sided deals is OVER,’ Iran’s top negotiator says amid Hormuz tensions
Iran’s top negotiator with the US, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said early Sunday that “the era of one-sided deals is OVER” amid escalating tensions with the US over the Strait of Hormuz.
“The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking,” Ghalibaf, who is Iran’s parliament speaker, wrote in a post on the US social media company X.
The post included an image of Article 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, as the June 18 framework deal is known. The article is related to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with the image showing the highlighted phrase: “the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements”.
Ghalibaf’s remarks came after Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases and facilities in several Gulf states, while the US carried out a third round of strikes targeting radar, missile, and drone sites across southern Iran.
The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking. pic.twitter.com/B97ogCYGaj
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) July 12, 2026
The US attacks came after Iran opened fire on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and announced the closure of the strategic waterway until further notice, with one crew member missing, according to CENTCOM.
UKMTO says crew abandon container ship near Oman after fire onboard
The crew of a container ship abandoned their vessel after military authorities reported it had sustained damage to its rear near Oman, causing a fire onboard, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Sunday.
The UKMTO earlier said it had received a report of an incident nine nautical miles (16.7 km) east of Oman.
In an updated advisory, the agency said it had been informed by military authorities and the vessel’s security officer that the crew had abandoned the vessel and were currently in a lifeboat, adding that authorities were continuing to investigate.
On Sunday, the US military launched a new round of strikes against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
“A civilian crew member is missing and the vessel is unable to continue the journey due to an onboard fire and significant engine room damage,” the US Central Command said in a statement on X.
Iran’s IRGC navy said earlier on Sunday that it had struck and halted a vessel that had “jeopardized maritime security by switching off its systems” after it, along with other vessels, attempted to transit through an unauthorised route despite warnings to correct its course.
Iran escalates pace, expands target of attacks
Central Command said US forces hit 140 Iranian military targets on Saturday, out of more than 300 during three nights of strikes “to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the strait”.
Iranian state media reported explosions in a number of port cities.
In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they had destroyed a command and control centre and drone hangars at a base in US ally Jordan, targeted a US military radar site in Kuwait, attacked US aircraft carrier support and refueling platforms in Oman and destroyed a fighter jet maintenance centre and command and control facility in Qatar.
Read: US, Iran dial up war rhetoric as tension rises
The Guards also said they had struck and disabled a second vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems engaged missiles and drones from Iran, while warning sirens sounded in Bahrain and explosions were heard in Doha.
Tehran’s strikes marked a sharp escalation in pace and targets. In recent weeks, Iran has hit sites in Kuwait and Bahrain while avoiding Qatar since early April and the UAE since early May.
The war has destabilized the Gulf, while Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has caused energy prices to surge, fuelling global inflation and raising fears of an economic slowdown.
Higher prices, especially for gasoline, are a politically sensitive issue for Trump ahead of the November congressional elections.
Iran said several ships attempted to move through the waterway on an “unauthorised route” and disregarded warnings to correct their course. The strait will remain closed until “the end of US interference in this region,” the Revolutionary Guards said.
Iran’s IRGC navy says Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice, state media reports
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy said early on Sunday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz until further notice after firing a warning shot at a vessel it said had attempted to transit along an unapproved route, state media reported.
“Keep your word or pay the price,” Iran says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has accused the United States of violating the ceasefire agreement. “There can only be mutual compliance,” he wrote on X on Friday.
On Sunday, Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf posted on X: “The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking”.
The US revoked the license authorising the sale of Iranian crude on Tuesday after three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers came under fire earlier in the week, prompting the US to hit Iranian sites. Iran then struck US military sites in Gulf states.
Read more: Iran has asked to continue talks and the US agreed, Trump says
While Iran has not claimed responsibility for the ship attacks, analysts say Tehran uses such actions to gain leverage in negotiations.
Araqchi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi met in Oman to exchange “views on appropriate mechanisms for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” according to a statement from the Iranian foreign minister. Oman’s state news agency said Omani and Iranian negotiators would continue talks “at the technical and political levels”.
A written statement from Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, on Saturday threatened vengeance for the death of his predecessor and father, who was killed in the war’s initial attacks. It said the vengeance would take place, whatever happened to Iran.
“We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs,” the message said.
The statement was released to mark funeral ceremonies for the former leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Thursday. His son did not attend the ceremonies and has not been seen in public since the war began.Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneReutersRead More