U.S., Iran Exchange Strikes Over Strait of Hormuz

The United States launched multiple waves of airstrikes against Iranian military targets early Sunday morning following an Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes targeted around 140 sites, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment, and other military installations along the strait.

The Iranian attack on the container ship resulted in one civilian crew member missing after an Iranian warning shot struck the vessel. Oman's maritime authority rescued 23 crew members from the burning ship. India’s Ministry of External Affairs identified the missing man as an Indian national and stated it was working with Oman to locate him.

In response, President Donald Trump warned of severe retaliation if Iran attempts to assassinate him, stating that 1,000 missiles are locked and loaded aimed at Iran. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote online: 'Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.' The U.S. attacks reportedly targeted Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and other areas along the shores of the strait.

Despite escalating tensions, diplomatic efforts continued as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with his Omani counterpart to discuss mechanisms for ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Oman's state news agency reported that negotiators from both countries would continue talks at technical and political levels. However, Iran did not confirm whether the strait would be open to all shipping, a key demand of the Trump administration.

Iran has warned that its campaign to throttle global energy markets could expand from the Strait of Hormuz to the vital Red Sea route if U.S. attacks continue. This threat depends on Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen and would open a new front in the energy crisis and Iran's conflict with the U.S.

About a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the strait before the war began. Iran's grip on it led to a global energy crisis, though oil prices have sharply dropped since wartime highs of $120 a barrel. Missile alerts sounded across several Gulf Arab countries, with Qatar intercepting incoming Iranian fire.

The United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, expressed deep concern over the serious escalation according to a statement released by his office. The U.S. military's Central Command said earlier Sunday that it hit some 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment, and other sites.

President Trump told NBC's 'Meet the Press,' 'We bombed the hell out of them last night.' Semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported that a navy officer was killed. Iran retaliated by attacking nations in the region hosting U.S. military forces while insisting it alone must control the strait and potentially charge vessels for traveling through it.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament and a main negotiator, wrote on social media: 'The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.' The U.S. has launched three rounds of airstrikes targeting Iran in the last week over Iranian attacks on ships heading through the strait using a route off Oman.

Qatar's military said it intercepted incoming Iranian fire, with explosions heard in the neighboring United Arab Emirates. Three people, including a child, were wounded as a result of shrapnel from the interception of Iranian attacks, Qatar's Interior Ministry said, giving no further details on their condition. Missile alerts sounded in Bahrain, an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Kuwait's Defense Ministry said three 'land border posts' in the north and an offshore drilling platform of the Kuwait Oil Company were damaged, with one platform worker wounded. A day after Oman and Iran held talks on the strait, the Omani state news agency said drones struck sites in an area on the waterway.

Oman summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest the strikes, the first such move since the war began, calling Iran's acts 'irresponsible.' Three Iranian missiles struck areas across Jordan, causing minor damage but no injuries. Sirens also sounded in the UAE, but the government said missiles did not cross into its territory.

The U.N.'s shipping agency opposed fees on ships passing through maritime waterways after President Donald Trump announced plans to reinstate a naval blockade on Iran and charge 20% on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) stated that it stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation, citing no legal basis for mandatory tolls.

Shipping industry officials expressed concerns about the potential violation of international law and questioned how this would enhance safety or provide guarantees for ships passing through the strait. The U.S. military's Central Command reported hitting approximately 140 targets in Iran, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment, and other military installations along the shores of the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest exchanges mark an escalation in both the pace and geographic reach of attacks over the past week, throwing into question an interim U.S.-Iranian agreement signed last month to reopen the strait and halt hostilities while the sides pursued a further 60 days of negotiations. Trump has said he considers the ceasefire over, while leaving the door open to further talks.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday backtracked on plans to charge ships for using the Strait of Hormuz, saying Gulf countries would instead invest in the United States. Another wave of U.S. strikes on Iran, and Iranian attacks on shipping and American allies, left an interim peace deal in tatters.

Trump said he was called by 'kings and emirs' and other leaders who suggested an alternate arrangement. They said we'd love to do it a different way. We'd love to invest in the United States with billions and billions of dollars,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

Trump said he preferred that arrangement to charging tolls 'because I don't think anybody should be able to charge a fee for the strait.' It was unclear if the investment deals would be new commitments relative to what Trump announced after a visit last year to the Middle East.