Explosions have been heard in Qatar's Doha, UAE, and Bahrain, while Jordan sounded the alarm as Iran launched retaliatory strikes after the United States
attacked the country amid fresh escalation in the Middle East. The US launched its third wave of strikes after Iran once again targeted vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to the closure of the strategic maritime route, on Sunday. Reportedly, Iran targeted a Cyrus flagged tanker as it was not using the route authorised by Tehran. The United States attacked Iran early Sunday (today) morning over an Iranian attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, setting the container ship ablaze and forcing its crew to abandon it. Iran apparently responded with strikes targeting Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The strait has become the key sticking point in any further negotiations between Iran and the United States to find a permanent end to the war that began back on February 28. About a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the strait before the war began. Iran’s grip on it during the war led to a global energy crisis, though oil prices have sharply dropped since wartime highs of $120 a barrel. The new crossfire in the Persian Gulf comes after US President Donald Trump suggested an interim deal in the Iran war was “over.” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote online: “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.”
Bahrain, Qatar and UAE all attacked
Citing fresh escalation, the United Arab Emirates warned the public today of an incoming missile and drone attack as explosions could be heard in nearby Qatar. A missile alert sounded in Qatar shortly after the blasts.
Qatar's military said in a statement it intercepted the incoming Iranian fire.
Meanwhile, missile alerts sounded in Bahrain, an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet.
It wasn’t immediately clear what locations were under attack in the UAE, which so far hadn’t been targeted in the latest round of attacks by Iran.
The latest attack on the Emirates, home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, came in May when a drone sparked a fire on the edge of the country's sole nuclear power plant.
Cyprus Flagged Vessel Targeted in Hormuz, Crew Abandons Ship
In the Strait of Hormuz attack, a Cyprus-flagged container ship was hit by Iran and suffered “significant engineroom damage” and a civilian crew member is missing, US Central Command said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, overseen by the British military, said the ship had been traveling in a route hugging the shoreline of Oman. That's been the way ships have gotten in and out of the Persian Gulf while avoiding Iranian territorial waters. The ship's crew abandoned the vessel as it was ablaze, the center said.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said multiple vessels “disregarded our warnings and instructions to correct their course and proceed along the approved route.” One of them “was struck by a warning shot and brought to a stop.”
Strait Closed Until Next Announcement, Says Iran
Iran said that the strait would remain closed “until further notice” and said it would consider targeting “additional enemy bases in the region” if it faced more attacks.
The US attacks on Iran apparently targeted Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as other areas, along the shores of the strait, Iran state media reported. Iran offered no immediate information about casualties or damage.
With inputs from PTI
