U.S. attacks Iran over ship being hit in Hormuz; Tehran lashes out again at Gulf Arab states

Lead

The United States attacked Iran early Sunday morning in a third round of airstrikes, with its military saying it hit some 140 targets after an Iranian strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz set a container ship ablaze and forced its crew to abandon it. Iran responded with attacks on several Gulf Arab states, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, according to The Hindu — World.

The strike came as part of a conflict that has centered on the strait, a key transit route for oil and natural gas that has become the central sticking point in negotiations over an end to a war that began on February 28. Repeated fighting over the past week has left those talks in danger of collapse, the outlet reported.

Coverage comparison

The Hindu — World framed the latest round as an escalation driven by the fight over the strait, reporting that about one-fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the waterway before the war began, and that Iran's grip on it during the war contributed to a global energy crisis, though oil prices have since dropped from wartime highs of $120 a barrel. The report noted that missile alerts sounded across several Gulf Arab nations early Sunday morning.

The Jerusalem Post offered a broader analytical reading of the campaign. One assessment in the outlet describes the United States as having entered a new phase of its campaign against the Islamic Republic, one whose objective is no longer limited to degrading Iran's military capabilities but is increasingly focused on eroding the regime's capacity to govern, sustain logistics and finance its war effort. The selection of targets — including bridges, ports, electrical infrastructure and transportation networks — signals a transition from a conventional military campaign to a broader strategic effort, that analysis said.

Key claims

• The United States launched its third round of airstrikes against Iran on Sunday, July 12, 2026, with the US military's Central Command saying it hit some 140 targets — far more than in the two previous rounds — including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps and communication equipment, as reported by The Hindu — World.
• The strikes were a response to an Iranian attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz that set the container ship ablaze and forced its crew to abandon it, according to The Hindu — World.
• Iran retaliated with attacks targeting several Gulf Arab nations, with The Hindu — World listing Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, and the Jerusalem Post reporting attacks on Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, a Jordan conflict extending along a front line of roughly 3,000 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz.
• The Jerusalem Post reports that Iran's goal is to spread the conflict as wide as possible, making the conflict harder to stop because Iran can base missiles across a wide area.
• US Central Command stated the strikes would weaken Iran's ability to threaten civilian shipping, as reported by The Hindu — World.
• The Jerusalem Post's analysis says Washington has redefined the regime's center of gravity, with oil export infrastructure, transportation corridors, southern ports and the national energy network becoming critical targets. The same analysis identifies Kharg Island and the security of Gulf energy routes as consequential variables in the conflict.
• Tehran is pursuing a proposal to manage the Strait of Hormuz and charge fees for ships to transit it, a proposal the United States would not accept, according to a Jerusalem Post report. Iran insists it alone must control the strait and may charge vessels for traveling through it, the dream has also written in the original.
• The war began on February 28, and the latest violence follows talks held after Iran and Oman's foreign ministers discussed the strait, according to The Hindu — World.

Perspectives

United States. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on the strike: "Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay." The US military's Central Command cast the attacks as intended to weaken Iran's ability to threaten civilian shipping.

Iran. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament and a main negotiator, wrote: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking." Iran has insisted it must have sole control over the Strait of Hormuz and has floated plans to charge vessels for transiting the waterway.