Iran responds with attacks on Gulf states as tensions threaten regional stability and shipping routes

By Sadiq Abdulfatah

The United States carried out a fresh wave of military strikes on Iran early Sunday after an Iranian attack on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz forced its crew to abandon the vessel.

The latest escalation also saw Iran launch attacks targeting Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, raising fresh security concerns across the Gulf.

According to the US Central Command, about 140 targets were struck across Iran in what it described as an effort to weaken Tehran’s ability to attack commercial ships and civilian vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The military said the targets included missile and drone launch sites, ammunition depots, communications equipment and other military facilities.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran would bear the consequences of its actions, accusing Tehran of making what he described as a costly decision.

The renewed fighting came days after US President Donald Trump declared that the interim agreement aimed at ending the conflict that began on Feb. 28 had effectively collapsed.

The Strait of Hormuz has remained a major point of tension in efforts to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Before the conflict, the strategic waterway handled about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas trade, although oil prices have since fallen from wartime highs.

The United Arab Emirates warned residents of an incoming missile and drone attack on Sunday, while explosions were reported in neighbouring Qatar. Qatari authorities later said their air defence systems intercepted the missiles, and Bahrain also activated missile alerts.

The latest confrontation followed an attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command said the vessel suffered significant damage to its engine room, while one civilian crew member remained missing after the crew abandoned the burning ship.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the vessel was sailing close to Oman’s coastline along a route commonly used by commercial ships to avoid Iranian territorial waters.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said several vessels had ignored its warnings to use an approved route, claiming one of the ships was struck by a warning shot before being forced to stop.

Tehran also announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until further notice and warned that additional regional military bases could be targeted if further attacks were carried out against Iran. Iranian state media reported that the latest US strikes hit Bandar Abbas, Sirik and other areas along the strategic waterway.

The developments came after talks between the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman on the future of the Strait of Hormuz. While Oman said both countries agreed to continue discussions, Iran did not publicly commit to reopening the vital shipping route. Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to avenge the killing of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the opening stage of the war.

US officials said recent Iranian attacks were carried out by a hardline faction seeking to undermine the ceasefire, although Tehran maintained that its leadership remained united.

Source: Saudi Gazette