Washington/Tehran, Jul y 12 (dpa/GNA) – The United States launched another wave of strikes against Iran overnight, in retaliation for an attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran responded by targeting US military sites in allied Gulf states and Jordan.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the latest operation was launched, in response to an attack by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the container ship GFS Galaxy in the strategic waterway.
The IRGC said it had fired warning shots at the vessel and stopped it, because it was travelling on an unauthorized route. According to CENTCOM, a fire broke out on board, leaving the 300-metre-long ship unable to continue its voyage because of extensive damage to its engine room.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said the crew later abandoned the vessel after the fire, and were rescued by another ship. One civilian crew member remained missing, according to the US military.
The IRGC said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed “until further notice”, and until the end of US military “interference” in the region.
Repeated exchanges of fire between Iran and the US over the past week, have undermined an interim agreement reached last month to end the conflict and reopen the waterway.
US President Donald Trump declared this week the ceasefire “over” but said Washington remained open to talks with Tehran. The US military said it struck around 140 Iranian military targets overnight using precision-guided munitions, fired from land- and sea-based aircraft, drones and naval vessels.
The targets included missile and drone positions, naval facilities, ammunition depots, communications networks and coastal surveillance sites, CENTCOM said, adding that the attacks were finished for the time being. According to the US military, the latest operation brought the total number of Iranian targets hit during three waves of strikes over the past week to more than 300.
The strikes were intended to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM said, adding that merchant vessels continued to pass through the strategic waterway. The command said US forces had helped ensure the safe passage of more than 800 commercial vessels carrying some 400 million barrels of crude oil through the strait since the beginning of May.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later claimed responsibility for attacks on US military assets based in allied Gulf states and Jordan. The guards said they had struck “important military infrastructure and facilities” at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, claiming to have destroyed a command-and-control centre and hangars for MQ-9 drones with ballistic missiles.
Jordan’s state news agency Petra, citing military officials, said three Iranian missiles landed inside the country, causing no injuries and only minor damage. The IRGC also said it had struck logistics centres, allegedly used by the US military in Oman’s southern province of al-Wusta.
Later, Oman reported separate drone attacks in its northern Musandam exclave overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. The government condemned the attacks and said it would take all necessary measures to protect the country and its people. The Revolutionary Guards said the attacks were in retaliation for what they described as US attempts to “impose its will” on Oman, including by encouraging ships to use an “illegal route through the southern Strait of Hormuz,” as well as for US strikes along Iran’s southern coast. “The continuation of the treacherous America’s aggression will be met with harsher responses,” the guards said. The strategic waterway lies between Iran to the north and US-allied Oman to the south, giving both countries a direct role in ensuring the security of shipping through the strait.
Iranian military spokesman Amir Akraminia also accused Trump of violating previous commitments. “The Americans are trying to impose an unlawful route south of the Strait of Hormuz that contradicts the agreement signed with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Akraminia was quoted as saying by the Iranian news agency Tasnim. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, also issued a warning to Washington. “The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you. keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking,” Ghalibaf wrote in English on X.
The latest escalation prompted alerts across several US-allied Gulf states. In Bahrain, warning sirens sounded at least three times as authorities urged residents to seek shelter. The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted fresh Iranian missile and drone attacks, before later announcing the situation had stabilized.
Qatar said its air defences had repelled a missile attack, but three people, including a child, were injured by falling debris.
In neighbouring Kuwait, the military reported “hostile targets” in the country’s airspace, saying air defence systems had intercepted incoming attacks and urging residents to seek shelter. Qatar’s Transport Ministry recommended the temporary suspension of all shipping and other “maritime activities” until further notice following the latest Iranian attacks.
The advisory also applied to fishing and leisure boats, jet skis and “all other seagoing vessels.” Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera described the measure as a recommendation, although some other media outlets characterized it as an order.
GNA