US, Iran trade wave of attacks as Teheran says Hormuz closed

[TEHERAN] US forces struck Iran for a third time in a week, prompting retaliatory attacks from Teheran as it declared the Strait of Hormuz would be closed “until further notice”. 

The Islamic Republic responded early Sunday (Jul 12) with drone and missile assaults on at least five American allies across the Middle East, including Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar. So far, only minor damage was reported and no casualties.

US Central Command said President Donald Trump had ordered fresh strikes targeting Teheran’s ability to attack commercial vessels after Iranian forces hit a Cyprus-flagged container ship.

Iranian state media reported blasts on the country’s southern coast, including at the energy and petrochemical hubs of Bushehr and Asalouyeh, the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar-e Dayyer, and the Sirik area near the Hormuz strait, a global energy chokepoint.

“Iran made a poor choice,” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on social media. “Now they pay.”

The increasingly heated tit-for-tat attacks are straining a US-Iran ceasefire that is supposed to lead to further discussions on key issues such as the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme and eventually bring an end to the war Washington and Israel launched in late February.

Both sides have suggested there are still room for talks, even as the rhetoric intensifies.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused the US of seeking “to create disruption in the south of the Strait of Hormuz” by “instigating several vessels”.

Control of the waterway – through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas once moved – has been central to US-Iran negotiations.

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The IRGC said it fired ballistic missiles at the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, targeting a US command and control centre and multiple drone hangars. The kingdom reported being hit by three missiles, without giving elaborating details.

Other countries hit by Iran

Qatar, meanwhile, said three people were injured by falling debris after Iranian missiles were intercepted. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported the Guards had targeted Al-Udeid Air Base with ballistic missiles.

Kuwait also said it was responding to aerial attacks, after Iran’s regular army announced drone assaults aimed at a US Patriot missile battery, an ammunition depot and a radar site in the country. The Iranian military said a US communications array and radar installation in Bahrain were targeted too.

Iranian state media reported other strikes against US naval logistics hubs and aircraft carrier refuelling platforms at Oman’s Port of Duqm. Oman said a drone targeted the northern Musandam governorate, without giving details.

Announcing the latest Hormuz closure earlier Sunday, the IRGC said it will not allow any vessels to pass until foreign interference ends, according to state-run IRIB News.

The IRGC halted a cargo ship after firing a warning shot because it tried to transit the strait on Saturday despite a warning, IRIB added. Fars reported Iranian forces had “struck and halted a second non-compliant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz”, though it did not provide further details.

The Cyprus-flagged container ship that was hit, M/V GFS Galaxy, is missing a civilian crew member and was unable to continue its journey after suffering significant damage, US Central Command said.

There was almost no visible traffic in the strait on Sunday, with only two oil products tankers seen approaching the waterway.

One empty very large crude carrier began signalling again in the Persian Gulf close to the Omani side early in the day, suggesting it pushed through the waterway from the Gulf of Oman without its transponders turned on. Bloomberg News could not immediately determine when the supertanker crossed the strait.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Oman on Saturday for talks on the future of Hormuz, but there was no sign of involvement by senior US envoys.

Earlier, Iran demanded that the US implement key commitments under a recent deal before more talks take place, rejecting Trump’s contention negotiations could continue without a ceasefire.

Teheran said Washington must meet Iran’s conditions for resolving transit issues through the strait and normalising its oil exports.

On Friday, Trump had threatened to shower Iran with “1000 Missiles” if it acted on a threat to kill the US leader, “in this case, ME!”

The US had also demanded that Iran publicly declare all channels of the Hormuz open to shipping and pledge not to attack civilian vessels transiting the waterway.

Teheran would face consequences if it fails to deliver the public assurance, senior Trump administration officials told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Several days of US airstrikes and Iranian retaliation sent oil prices climbing last week. BLOOMBERG