Iran strikes Gulf neighbors after new US attacks

What Happened

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, claiming it was sailing an 'unauthorised route', then announced the immediate closure of the strait 'until the end of American interventions'. The crew abandoned the disabled and burning vessel 17 km east of Oman, with one reported missing. In response, the U.S. military, acting under President Trump's direction, struck approximately 140 Iranian military targets in a third round of strikes this week, according to CENTCOM. Hours later, Iran launched missiles and drones at Gulf neighbours, triggering air raid sirens and interceptions in Qatar (three injured), the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, where three missiles fell. The IRGC claimed to have destroyed logistical support centres and refuelling facilities at the port of Duqm in Oman. The exchanges threaten an interim US-Iran agreement and come after previous tit-for-tat strikes this week, amid vows of vengeance from Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei for the killing of his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei in earlier US-Israeli strikes.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical conduit for global oil and gas, directly threatens energy markets and the world economy. The rapid escalation between the U.S. and Iran risks collapsing a fragile interim agreement and reigniting a broader Middle East conflict, drawing in Gulf states, and testing international norms on freedom of navigation.

Watch For

Monitor whether the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and if commercial shipping is further disrupted. Watch for additional U.S. or allied strikes and any Iranian retaliation as promised by Khamenei. Diplomatic efforts by mediators to salvage the interim deal will be critical, as will statements from the IAEA on Iran's nuclear programme given the heightened tensions.