Iran strikes American military assets in Gulf and Jordan, after US hits Iranian cities
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Sun, 07/12/2026 - 10:38
IRGC says Strait of Hormuz closed again 'until the end of American interventions in this region'
A missile is fired aimed at Iran, seen in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on 11 July 2026 by US Central Command (Centcom/Handout via Reuters)
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Iran carried out missile and drone attacks on a string of Gulf states and announced the re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, after the US launched a third round of strikes across Iranian cities in a matter of days.
The Pentagon said it struck Iran early on Sunday, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on a Cyprus-registered container ship it said was sailing an "unauthorised route" through the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC later said it hit another vessel, accusing it of “violating regulations”.
Iranian state media reported hearing blasts in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask, Qeshm Island and Khuzestan province.
Hours later, air raid sirens were heard in Bahrain and the UAE, while Qatar said it was intercepting missile attacks from which three people - including a child - had been wounded.
Kuwait said it was also working to intercept an attack, while Jordan said that three Iranian missiles had fallen on its soil.
The IRGC said it had destroyed a command and control centre and drone hangars in Jordan, targeted a US radar site in Kuwait, and destroyed a jet maintenance centre and command facility in Qatar.
In Oman, it said it had destroyed “the logistical support centres for naval vessels and the refuelling facilities for US aircraft carriers at the port of Duqm in Oman”.
The UAE later said that missile threats detected earlier in the day were outside the country's borders.
Hormuz closed 'until end of US intervention'
The IRGC had earlier said it struck and stopped a vessel ignoring repeated instructions to use an approved shipping corridor, according to state news agency IRNA.
"Following this incident … the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region," the IRGC said.
US Central Command (Centcom) said commercial vessels continue to transit through the waterway.
The Cyprus-registered GFS Galaxy vessel had been disabled by fire and damage to its engine room and a crew member was missing, Centcom said.
The crew abandoned the vessel and were on a lifeboat, the British maritime agency UKMTO reported, adding the incident occurred around 17km east of Oman.
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One Indian national was missing after the attack on the GFS Galaxy, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said.
"Of the 11 Indian nationals on board, 10 have been rescued so far, while one Indian national is reportedly missing," the ministry said, while condemning the attack.
Centcom said US forces hit 140 Iranian targets on Saturday, out of more than 300 strikes during three nights of attacks "to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the strait".
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said: "Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay."
A series of attacks between the US and Iran over recent days led President Donald Trump to declare that a ceasefire that had lasted several weeks was now effectively over.
Days of escalation have cast major doubt over the future of talks aimed at bringing about a permanent ceasefire.
On Sunday, Iran's parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, 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 latest round of fighting took place after talks in Oman on Saturday between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi.
The talks were aimed at coordinating arrangements for shipping and transit in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said on Sunday.
Legal and technical delegations from both countries discussed maritime security and safety, and agreed to continue political and technical-legal talks to reach a joint understanding, Baqaei said. He added that a Qatari delegation was also present.
On Saturday, Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, penned a written statement threatening vengeance for the death of his predecessor and father, Ali Khamenei.
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