The US said it had struck Iran early on Sunday after the country\u2019s \u2060Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on a Cyprus-registered container ship they claimed was sailing an \u201cunauthorised route\u201d through the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
According to state media, the IRGC then said they had hit a second vessel, accusing it of \u201cviolating regulations\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cA vessel that had jeopardised maritime security by switching off its systems was struck and \u2060brought to a halt,\u201d the navy of the IRGC said.<\/p>\n
![\"Vessels](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5500.jpg\")
Vessels at the strait of Hormuz, as seen from Oman on 12 July 2026. Photograph: Reuters<\/p>\n
A short time later, US Central Command said its forces had carried out a round of strikes against Iran, attacking at least 140 targets.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran\u2019s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait,\u201d the military said.<\/p>\n
The targets included missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition depots, communication networks and surveillance locations, it added.<\/p>\n
The IRGC said that in response to American attacks it closed the strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world\u2019s oil supplies usually flow, until further notice as it warned of a severe response to US \u201caggression\u201d.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.12 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n In a social media post<\/a>, Qatar\u2019s transport ministry urged all marine vessel owners and users to \u201ctemporarily suspend navigation and marine activities\u201d until further notice.<\/p>\n The ministry said the order was given in the interest of \u201cpublic safety\u201d and included pleasure boats, fishing boats and \u201cwater motorcycles\u201d as the types of vessels that should suspend activities for the time being.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Maritime security threat in strait of Hormuz remains ‘severe’ – UKMTO<\/p>\n The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) has put out an advisory note<\/a> warning that the maritime security threat level in the strait of Hormuz remains \u201csevere\u201d.<\/p>\n The British shipping security monitor said that, despite Iran<\/a> announcing the strait is closed, the \u201csouthern route\u201d is still available and \u201chas been expanded to accommodate two-way traffic\u201d.<\/p>\n It advised mariners to be wary of mine dangers and strongly encourages coordination with the US Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping, NCAGS, an American navy entity that monitors and coordinates with merchant ships.<\/p>\n Oman\u2019s territorial waters are the only stretch of the strait where Tehran cannot easily lay mines or exert control in other ways. The US has urged mariners to travel on a southern route through Oman\u2019s territorial waters to avoid Iran.<\/p>\n The advisory note from the UKMTO read:<\/p>\n double quotation markCoordination with NCAGS is not mandatory. Ships may transit the southern route without coordination. There is no controlling authority regulating passage or fee required for any route.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Era of one-sided deals is over, top Iranian negotiator says, as he warns US ‘reality is knocking’<\/p>\n Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran\u2019s top negotiator in the peace talks and the country\u2019s parliament speaker, said in a post on X<\/a> this morning:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.<\/p>\n Although he didn\u2019t go into detail about what he meant, Ghalibaf published his post alongside an image of a section of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding that Tehran interprets as meaning it has the ultimate say about what routes ships can use while travelling through the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a senior Iranian negotiator and parliament speaker, has said US pressure would not lead anywhere. Photograph: Hamed Malekpour\/Iranian Parliament Communication Office\/ Handout via Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.25 EDT<\/p>\n In response to the US attacks against Iran<\/a>, \u200bIran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed they had destroyed a command and control centre and drone hangars in Jordan, targeted \u200ca US radar site in Kuwait, attacked US aircraft carrier support \u200cand refuelling platforms in Oman and destroyed a jet maintenance centre and command facility in Qatar. We have not been able to independently verify these claims.<\/p>\n Here are some of the reactions from the US-allied countries apparently targeted by Iran:<\/p>\n A child was among three people injured by falling shrapnel after the country\u2019s air defences intercepted attacks earlier today, Qatar\u2019s interior ministry said.<\/p>\n Qatar said the injured people were receiving medical attention and did not report any casualties.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, Iran had hit Kuwait and Bahrain while avoiding Qatar, a key diplomatic mediator, since early April. Doha \u200bhas previously said it would not act as a mediator if it came under attack.<\/p>\n Air defence systems are activated over Doha after explosions were heard amid a missile attack on 12 July, 2026. Photograph: Ali Altunkaya\/Anadolu\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The UAE, meanwhile, said missile threats were detected this morning outside its \u201cborders\u201d, adding that the monitoring of security threats is happening \u201caround the clock\u201d.<\/p>\n Kuwait\u2019s foreign ministry condemned what it called \u201csinful\u201d Iranian aggression that targeted it this morning, saying it represented a violation of international law and was a direct threat to the safety of its citizens.<\/p>\n In a series of posts on X this morning Bahrain\u2019s interior ministry said sirens had been sounded and urged residents to head to the nearest, safest location.<\/p>\n Jordan\u2019s communication ministry said three Iranian missiles had fallen within its territory this morning, causing minor material damage but no casualties.<\/p>\n The Omani state news agency said drones struck sites in northeastern Oman, in the area that sits on the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.50 EDT<\/p>\n Lindsey Graham, key Trump ally, has died after sudden illness, his office says Lindsey Graham, a longtime US senator and key ally of Donald Trump, has died from a sudden illness, his office said in the early hours of Sunday. He had just turned 71.<\/p>\n Graham\u2019s abrupt death will send shockwaves through Washington and the Republican party. He had served in the Senate since 2003, representing South Carolina, and was running for re-election in November.<\/p>\n Lindsey Graham gestures as Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on Air Force One in January 2026. Photograph: Alex Brandon\/AP<\/p>\n Graham, a retired air force reserve colonel who specialised as a military lawyer, was known as a hawk who supported the Iraq war and had long urged military action in Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n He opposed the nuclear agreement negotiated by President Barack Obama and has been one of Trump\u2019s most outspoken defenders in the current conflict.<\/p>\n Several leaders in Israel expressed condolences. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, posted on X<\/a>: \u201cToday, Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. Senator Lindsey Graham stood with Israel not because it was easy, but because he believed it was right. His unwavering support, courage, and moral clarity earned him the admiration of millions of Israelis.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n India\u2019s foreign ministry has condemned an attack on the commercial vessel \u2013 GFS Galaxy \u2013 off the coast of Oman earlier today.<\/p>\n It said 10 of the 11 Indian nationals on board have been rescued, while one remains missing.<\/p>\n India\u2019s embassy in Oman is closely \u200bmonitoring the situation, and coordinating with the Omani authorities in the \u2060ongoing search and rescue operation, the \u200bministry \u200bsaid.<\/p>\n The statement<\/a> added:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome. We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region. <\/p>\n The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran has taken control of the strait of Hormuz with ‘power’, official says<\/p>\n Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian parliament\u2019s national security and foreign policy commission, has said that Iran<\/a> has taken control of the strait of Hormuz with \u201cpower\u201d.<\/p>\n In a brief post on X<\/a>, he wrote:<\/p>\n double quotation markWe have taken control of the strait of Hormuz with power, and we will preserve it with power as well.<\/p>\n The latest exchange of strikes came hours after regional diplomats finished talks aimed at resolving the impasse over the strait of Hormuz, which Iran has sought to assert its sovereignty over and sees as its main point of leverage in negotiations with Washington.<\/p>\n Strait of Hormuz locator. <\/a><\/p>\n During Saturday\u2019s talks, Oman proposed a plan to fully reopen both shipping lanes through the strait, according to US outlet Axios<\/a>, citing a diplomat briefed on the negotiations.<\/p>\n The report said that under the proposal the southern route through Omani waters would reopen without the need for prior approval, reverting back to the position in place before the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.<\/p>\n The Iranian delegation, however, was unable to gain approval for the plan in Oman and took it back to Tehran for internal deliberations, the diplomat told Axios.<\/p>\n The US is demanding that Iran publicly state it will stop attacks on ships in the strait – and that all lanes will be open with no tolls through the waterway.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran attacks Gulf countries after fresh US strikes<\/p>\n Iran launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours this morning in retaliation to a number of US strikes and announced the closure of the strategic strait of Hormuz until further notice.<\/p>\n![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783851551_730_David_Smith.png\")
David Smith<\/p>\n