After Iran declared Strait of Hormuz closed and crippled civilian vessel, US forces bomb Iranian military positions while Tehran targets American bases.

By World Israel News Staff

The United States launched a major new wave of strikes against Iran early Sunday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the latest escalation in a rapidly expanding cycle of attacks on commercial vessels and US military facilities across the Middle East.

US Central Command said American forces struck roughly 140 targets in Iran, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition depots, communications equipment and other military infrastructure.

The attack was the third large US strike operation against Iran within days.

The latest round followed what CENTCOM described as a “blatant” Iranian attack on the M/V GFS Galaxy as the commercial vessel traveled through the Strait of Hormuz.

The ship suffered a fire and “significant engine room damage,” according to the US military, and was left unable to continue its voyage. One civilian crew member was reported missing.

The ship’s surviving crew abandoned the burning vessel and entered a lifeboat east of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a brief warning following the attack.

“Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay,” he wrote on social media.

The IRGC acknowledged firing on the vessel but characterized the attack as a “warning shot.”

It claimed several ships had ignored instructions to change course and were traveling through what Tehran described as an unauthorized route.

Iran subsequently announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed “until further notice” and until US involvement in the area ended. It also warned that additional American bases in the region could be attacked if Washington retaliated.

The United States launched its operation approximately an hour later on the orders of President Donald Trump.

CENTCOM said the strikes were intended to “degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels” traveling through the strait.

Iranian media reported explosions around Bandar Abbas, Sirik and other locations along Iran’s southern coast. Tehran did not immediately provide a comprehensive account of casualties or damage from the strikes.

Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward several US allies across the region.

The IRGC said it destroyed a command-and-control center and drone facilities at a military base in Jordan. The extent of any damage could not immediately be independently confirmed.

Air defenses in the United Arab Emirates also engaged Iranian missiles and drones, while warning sirens sounded in Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

Explosions were heard over Doha, and Qatar sent emergency messages instructing residents to remain indoors. Qatar’s military later said it had intercepted the incoming Iranian missile attack.

The latest exchange follows earlier Iranian attacks on facilities used by the United States in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

Iran’s military said during a previous round of fighting that it had targeted a US early-warning facility in Qatar, American Patriot air defense systems in Kuwait and a US Army fuel depot in Bahrain.

The IRGC also said it fired 10 ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Azraq military base, which is used by American forces. Jordan said eight Iranian missiles were intercepted and that no injuries or damage were reported.

On July 7, CENTCOM said US forces hit more than 80 Iranian targets after three commercial vessels were attacked in the strait. Those targets included Iranian air-defense systems, command networks, coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile capabilities and more than 60 IRGC small boats.

The United States carried out another operation the following day, striking approximately 90 additional targets, including coastal surveillance systems, missile and drone storage facilities, naval assets and military logistics infrastructure.

Iran then retaliated against US-linked facilities in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, further weakening a temporary ceasefire arrangement reached weeks earlier.

Trump subsequently declared that the ceasefire was “OVER,” although he said Washington remained prepared to continue negotiations.

Washington is demanding that Iran publicly guarantee safe, toll-free passage through all lanes of the strait. Tehran insists that ships must follow routes approved by Iranian authorities and says the waterway will reopen only under arrangements acceptable to the Islamic Republic.

The violence erupted only hours after Iranian and Omani officials discussed possible arrangements for reopening the strait.

Oman reportedly proposed restoring unrestricted commercial navigation through a southern shipping corridor located in Omani territorial waters. Ships using the northern corridor through Iranian waters would have been required to obtain Tehran’s approval but would not have paid a toll.

The GFS Galaxy was traveling through the southern route backed by Oman when it was attacked, according to US officials.

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“The U.S. strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said.

By United with Israel Staff

The United States launched a series of military strikes against Iran on Tuesday after Tehran targeted commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, marking a sharp escalation in tensions just days after the two sides agreed to a temporary pause in hostilities.

In a statement, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had begun “a series of powerful strikes” designed to impose “heavy costs” on Iran for attacking innocent civilian shipping in international waters.

“The U.S. strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said. “Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”

U.S. Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway. The U.S. strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 7, 2026

The military action follows overnight attacks in which Iran reportedly fired missiles at commercial ships passing through the strategic waterway. According to Axios, citing two U.S. officials, Iran launched at least two missiles toward commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Reuters later reported that a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker suffered significant damage after being struck while sailing through the Omani side of the strait. A Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker was also damaged near the coast of Oman, according to maritime security sources.

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker was hit by an “unknown projectile” east of Limah, Oman, causing a fire but no reported casualties.

Iranian state-run media reported that one of the targeted tankers was using the Omani sea route with U.S. support and was struck after “ignoring repeated warnings.”

The attacks ended a temporary U.S.-Iran understanding reached last week following a weekend of military exchanges near the Strait of Hormuz. Under the agreement, both sides agreed to halt further strikes to allow commercial shipping to move freely through the strategic waterway while negotiations continued.

Earlier Tuesday, the Trump administration also reinstated sanctions on Iranian oil, ending temporary sanctions relief that had been granted under the ceasefire arrangement.

A U.S. official said the sanctions relief had always been contingent on Iran’s conduct.

“As President Trump and the administration have repeatedly affirmed, the memorandum of understanding with Iran is entirely performance-based. Iran will only reap benefits if they exhibit good behavior,” the official said.

“Iran’s actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and will be met with consequences. Our negotiators continue to work in good faith toward a final deal.”

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, carrying roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments. Any disruption to commercial traffic through the narrow waterway has the potential to significantly impact global energy markets and regional security.

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“The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM said.

By World Israel News Staff

The United States launched strikes against multiple targets in Iran on Tuesday evening, marking Washington’s first direct military action against Iranian targets since the latest escalation began.

Explosions were reported in the port city of Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island shortly after the operation commenced.

In a statement posted on X, U.S. Central Command said American forces began carrying out what it described as “self-defense strikes” at 5 p.m. Eastern time on orders from President Donald Trump.

According to CENTCOM, the operation was launched in response to the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz the previous night.

“The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM said.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter. The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 9, 2026

The strikes came hours after Trump publicly stated that the United States would respond once military investigators concluded that Iran was responsible for the attack.

“I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”

When the helicopter went down Monday night, the cause was not immediately known. Both crew members were rescued safely, according to U.S. officials.

Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed of the operation by Trump before the strikes began.

The American attack marks a significant escalation in U.S. involvement in the confrontation with Iran, coming as Washington had simultaneously been pursuing negotiations with Tehran aimed at reaching a broader agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities.

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Hezbollah has drawn a clear line between limited US military action and strikes aimed at destabilizing Iran’s ruling system.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A Hezbollah official said Wednesday that the Iran-backed group would not take military action if the United States carries out “limited” strikes on Iran, but warned that any attempt to target Iran’s top leadership would trigger intervention.

The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Hezbollah had drawn a clear line between restricted US military action and strikes aimed at destabilizing Iran’s ruling system.

“In the event of limited US strikes on Iran, Hezbollah’s position will be to not intervene militarily,” the official said. Any move to bring about the fall of Iran’s leadership or to target Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be considered a “red line,” the official added.

The comments come amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Trump is considering a limited strike to pressure Iran to meet US nuclear demands, with the option of a broader campaign later this year if negotiations fail.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has previously said the group is operating from a “defensive position,” but has warned that a US attack on Iran would be seen by Hezbollah as a direct threat.

The Hezbollah official told AFP that a US attempt to unseat Iran’s leadership would likely lead Israel to launch a war against Lebanon. Lebanese officials have expressed concern that any escalation between Washington and Tehran could quickly spread.

A Lebanese official told AFP that authorities fear a sequence beginning with a US strike on Iran, followed by Hezbollah action against Israel and then a large-scale Israeli response.

On Tuesday, two senior Lebanese officials said Israel had conveyed an indirect message warning it would strike Lebanon hard, including civilian infrastructure such as the airport, if Hezbollah became involved in a US-Iran conflict.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said in Geneva that Israeli strikes in such a scenario could include “strategic infrastructure such as the airport,” adding that Beirut had urged Hezbollah to avoid actions that could endanger civilians. “This war does not concern us,” Raggi said.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also appealed for restraint, warning in a newspaper interview that Lebanon should not be dragged into another conflict after paying a heavy price in recent fighting.

Israel and Hezbollah last fought in 2023 and 2024, with a ceasefire reached in November 2024 following an Israeli ground invasion and air campaign that severely weakened Hezbollah’s leadership.

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