Daijiworld Media Network – Dubai
Dubai, Jul 13: The United States and Iran exchanged heavy missile and drone attacks on Sunday, with Tehran targeting US military facilities across Gulf states and announcing that it had once again closed the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, significantly escalating tensions in the region.
The latest wave of violence has cast serious doubt over the future of the interim US-Iran agreement signed last month, which had aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict after a further 60 days of negotiations.
The strikes marked the latest phase in a series of attacks and counter-attacks as Iran seeks to assert control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Sunday's offensive represented a significant escalation in both the pace and geographical reach of the conflict.
Iran extended its strikes to Qatar, which had been acting as a mediator in ceasefire negotiations and had not been attacked since April. The United Arab Emirates, which had not been targeted since early May, said its air defence systems intercepted Iranian missiles and drones.
The US military said it launched additional strikes against Iranian targets from 5 pm Eastern Time on Sunday. In a statement posted on X, US Central Command said the operations were intended "to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins said American aircraft shot down an Iranian cruise missile and a one-way attack drone.
Speaking briefly to Reuters on Sunday, US President Donald Trump referred to the military operations, saying, "We're beating them up."
Iranian media reported missile strikes and explosions around the port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas, which host key military installations along the Strait of Hormuz, as well as nearby Qeshm Island.
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as "aggressive" US attacks over the weekend. The ministry also said talks held in Muscat on Saturday between Iran and Oman, focused on managing the strait and maritime transit, failed to produce an agreement because of what it called "overt and covert" US pressure on Oman.
During the past week, Trump said he considered the ceasefire effectively over, while leaving open the possibility of renewed negotiations.
Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, wrote on X: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking."
The conflict, launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, has destabilised the Gulf region, with Iran targeting countries hosting US military bases. Tehran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up global energy prices and contributed to rising inflation.
Higher fuel prices, particularly petrol, are viewed as politically sensitive for Trump ahead of the US congressional elections scheduled for November.
Iran has sought to establish a permanent system of collecting transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Tehran has warned vessels not to enter the waterway without its authorisation.
Late on Saturday, Iran announced it had closed the strait after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel travelling on what it described as an unauthorised route. On Sunday, it said a second vessel had been disabled.
India said one of its nationals was missing following an attack on the container ship GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman. Omani authorities said 23 crew members had been rescued.
Qatar advised all vessels, including leisure boats, fishing boats and jet skis, to suspend operations until further notice.
Iran's newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority said passage through the waterway was currently impossible because of what it described as "recent illegal movements of the United States military forces in the region". It said permits for passage would be issued once stability returned.
The United States, which revoked the licence permitting the sale of Iranian crude oil earlier this week following attacks on commercial shipping, insisted its forces remained committed to safeguarding freedom of navigation despite what it described as Iranian "aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations."
"Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing," the US said.
The US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center reiterated that, despite heightened security risks, an expanded southern route near Oman remained open for two-way maritime traffic.
On Saturday, US Central Command said American forces had struck 140 Iranian military targets and more than 300 targets over three nights in an effort to reduce Iran's capability to attack civilian shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for destroying a command-and-control centre and drone hangars in Jordan, targeting a US radar installation and rocket launcher systems in Kuwait, attacking US aircraft carrier support and refuelling facilities in Oman, and destroying a jet maintenance centre and command facility in Qatar.
Qatar said three people, including a child, were injured by falling shrapnel from the attacks and held Iran "fully legally responsible" for the incident.
The United Arab Emirates reported detecting missile threats outside its borders, Bahrain said it intercepted several Iranian aerial attacks, Jordan confirmed missile strikes, and Oman reported drone attacks on its territory.
Kuwait's military later confirmed damage from strikes, saying one worker was injured in an attack on an oil drilling platform.
Oman said it had summoned Iran's ambassador to protest over drone attacks in two regions, while the US Embassy in Oman advised American nationals in Duqm and Musandam to shelter in place until further notice.