United States Launches Strikes On Iran After Attack On Cyprus-Flagged Ship In Strait Of Hormuz

The United States launched another round of strikes on Iran after an Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran responded with attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman.

CNN reported that Iran’s state media said further attacks came Sunday after the US launched a significant new air assault overnight, saying it struck about 140 sites, while Tehran replied with a wave of attacks targeting US military bases in the region.

Al Jazeera

The AP said the governor of Qeshm Island told IRNA that projectiles were fired at military targets with no casualties, and explosions were also heard in Bandar Abbas and Hajiabad.

The dispute over whether the strait is open or closed intensified as Washington and Tehran exchanged contradictory claims, with CNN noting President Donald Trump insisted in an interview with CNN that the strait remains open while Iran claims to have clamped down on marine traffic.

DW reported that the Iranian navy declared it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, while US Central Command said in a statement that “traffic is flowing” in the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “We bombed the hell out of them last night,” as Iran and the United States traded accusations over the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote on X that “The era of one-sided deals is OVER,” while the BBC reported that Iran’s IRGC launched wide-ranging attacks on US bases and allies across the region on Sunday.

Al-Jazeera Net

The BBC said the renewed fire put in jeopardy an interim ceasefire agreement signed last month, and it quoted Centcom’s warning that Iran “has again failed” to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding.

DW said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the United States and Iran to end the current outbreak of fighting and resume talks, adding that “These attacks must stop.”

The Guardian reported that Centcom said on X, “Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing,” even as Trump said US forces were keeping the strait open by force and repeated “It’s open. We bombed the hell out of them last night.”

The conflict’s next phase is framed around the 60-day interim deal aimed at reaching a permanent end to the war, with the AP saying the two countries are nearly at the midway point of that period.

The AP reported that the strait is a sticking point in negotiations and that the U.S. military earlier Sunday said it hit some 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment and other sites.

NBC News said CENTCOM insisted the Strait of Hormuz “is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway,” and that “Traffic is flowing,” even as Iran said passage is “currently not possible.”

The Guardian said the MoU signed on 17 June extended a ceasefire in the war by 60 days to allow the restoration of trade through the strait and create breathing space for talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief.

RFE/RL reported that Oman said it had rescued 23 crew members, with one missing, from the stricken M/V GFS Galaxy after receiving a distress signal, underscoring how the shipping dispute is tied to the safety of crews transiting the waterway.