Iran Strikes Gulf States, Says Strait of Hormuz Closed After US Assaults

Washington/ Dubai – U.S. and Iranian forces traded heavy missile and drone assaults over the weekend, with Tehran targeting American facilities across Gulf states and declaring it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation casts fresh doubt on an interim U.S.-Iranian agreement signed last month that aimed to reopen the waterway and end the war after 60 more days of negotiations.

Iran's strikes extended to Qatar, a ceasefire mediator that had not been hit since April. The United Arab Emirates, untouched since early May, said its air defenses engaged Iranian missiles and drones. Oman reported drone attacks in two regions and summoned Iran's ambassador to protest.

The U.S. military began launching more strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, Central Command said on X, to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships transiting the strait. Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins told CNN that U.S. aircraft shot down an Iranian cruise missile and a one-way attack drone.

In a brief phone interview with Reuters on Sunday afternoon, President Donald Trump referred to the weekend's strikes on Iran. "We're beating them up," he said.

Iranian media reported missile attacks and explosions around the port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas, home to military facilities on the strait, and nearby Qeshm Island. Iran's foreign ministry condemned the U.S. attacks and said talks with Oman on Saturday in Muscat – focused on managing the strait and transit routes – failed because of U.S. pressure on Oman.

Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, posted on X on Sunday: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking."

Strait of Hormuz and the Energy Price Shock

The strait carried one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war. Iran's effective blockade has driven energy prices higher and fueled global inflation. Higher gasoline prices are politically sensitive for Trump ahead of November's congressional elections.

Iran's recently created Persian Gulf Strait Authority said on Sunday that passage through the strait was "not currently possible due to recent illegal movements of the United States military forces in the region." Permits would be issued once stability is restored, it said.

The U.S., which revoked the license authorizing Iranian crude sales on Tuesday after earlier shipping attacks, said its forces were positioned to safeguard freedom of navigation. "Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing," it said. The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center reiterated that an expanded southern route near Oman was available for two-way traffic.

Flurry of Strikes Across the Gulf

On Saturday, Central Command said U.S. forces had hit 140 Iranian military targets, and that more than 300 had been struck over three nights this week. In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had destroyed a command-and-control center and drone hangars in U.S. ally Jordan, targeted a U.S. radar site and rocket launcher systems in Kuwait, attacked U.S. aircraft carrier support platforms in Oman, and destroyed a jet maintenance center and command facility in Qatar.

Qatar, which had said it would not mediate while under attack, reported three people injured by falling shrapnel, including a child. It said Iran was fully legally responsible. The UAE detected missile threats outside its borders. Bahrain intercepted several Iranian aerial attacks. Jordan reported missile strikes. Kuwait reported damage from strikes and said an attack on an oil drilling platform injured a worker.

India said one of its nationals was missing after an attack on the container ship GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman. Oman said 23 crew members had been rescued. Qatar advised all vessels, including leisure boats and jet skis, to suspend activities.

Iran said late Saturday it had closed the waterway after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel on an unauthorized route. On Sunday, it said it had disabled a second vessel.

Trump has said he considers the ceasefire over, while leaving the door open to more talks. The war that the U.S. and Israel launched against Iran on February 28 has destabilized the Gulf, where Iran has struck countries hosting U.S. bases.

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