US launches fresh strikes on Iran as Hormuz standoff deepens
The United States conducted airstrikes on Iranian military installations after an attack on a container ship. The action has led to retaliatory strikes across several nations in the region.
Early on Sunday the United States launched a fresh wave of airstrikes against Iranian military sites. The escalation follows an Iranian missile and drone barrage that set fire to the Cyprus‑flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving one crew member missing.
Centcom said the Sunday strikes hit roughly 140 Iranian targets – missile‑launch complexes, air‑defence installations and fast‑boat bases – and also struck a water‑pumping station in Mahshahr, killing one person and wounding four, according to Iran’s state‑run IRNA. The Pentagon framed the operation as an effort “to continue degrading Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz” and to “hold Iranian forces accountable.” President Donald Trump reiterated the message in an interview with NBC, asserting that the strait remained open.
Media additions
Axios confirmed the strikes on missile and air‑defence systems and on IRGC fast boats around the strait.
State media said missiles and drones struck U.S.–linked assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman.
The Iranian claims could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate confirmation from the governments of Kuwait, Qatar or Bahrain. Sirens sounded in Bahrain, while the United Arab Emirates activated its air‑defence systems to intercept incoming missiles and drones. Qatar’s interior ministry reported three people – including a child – wounded by shrapnel from intercepted missiles.
Kuwait’s Defence Ministry said three northern border posts and an offshore oil platform belonging to the Kuwait Oil Company were damaged, with one worker injured. The ministry condemned the Iranian attacks as a “dangerous escalation.” Jordan’s state news agency confirmed three Iranian missiles landed on its territory, causing minor damage but no casualties. Oman’s foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador to lodge a formal protest, calling the attacks “irresponsible.” The Omani maritime authority said 23 crew members from the GFS Galaxy had been rescued, while a search continued for the missing seafarer, identified by India’s Ministry of External Affairs as an Indian national.
The Cyprus‑flagged container ship hit by Iran suffered “significant engine room damage,” the U.S. Military said. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, overseen by the British military, said the ship had been moving along Oman’s shoreline. India’s foreign ministry condemned the attack, thanked Omani authorities for the rescue effort and called for an immediate de‑escalation.
United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres, relayed by multiple outlets, urged “an immediate resumption of talks” and warned that a return to full‑scale hostilities would have “catastrophic consequences.”
In the political arena, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf posted on X that “the era of one‑sided deals is OVER.”
Washington, however, maintains that the waterway remains open for navigation. A U.S. Official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strikes targeted “missile and air‑defence systems and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard boats.” 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.
Pakistan’s foreign minister reportedly spoke by phone with Iran’s top diplomat, urging de‑escalation.
"We bombed the hell out of them last night."
Donald Trump, via NBC’s “Meet the Press”
Expanded timeline of key events
- Saturday night – IRGC fire on the Cyprus‑flagged M/V GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz; the vessel catches fire, engine‑room damage is severe and one crew member goes missing.
- Early Sunday – CENTCOM announces a strike wave hitting roughly 140 Iranian targets, including missile sites, air‑defence installations and a water‑pumping station in Mahshahr; casualties reported at the latter.
- Mid‑day Sunday – Iran launches missile and drone attacks on U.S. Facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman; sirens sound in Bahrain and the UAE, and Qatar reports three wounded.
- Evening Sunday – A second U.S. Strike wave targets additional Iranian air‑defence and command facilities; President Trump tells NBC the U.S. “bombed the hell out of them.”
- Monday – Oman summons Iran’s ambassador; UN Secretary‑General Guterres urges a return to negotiations.
