US strikes Iran after Hormuz ship attacks and oil sales clampdown

Dubai,UPDATED: Jul 8, 2026 09:28 IST

The US military attacked Iran early on Wednesday after accusing Tehran of striking three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a move that came alongside Washington revoking Iran’s ability to openly sell crude oil in the global market. Iran later appeared to retaliate with strikes aimed at Bahrain and Kuwait, sharply raising tensions in the region.

The developments have cast doubt over an interim agreement meant to halt fighting in the war, with fears growing that the Middle East could again face a wider conflict. Missile alerts were sounded in Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, and in Kuwait, which hosts US Army forces, after the American strikes.

The latest escalation came during the dayslong funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in the opening moments of the war at the age of 86. The funeral, due to end on Thursday, had been seen as a period when tensions might ease, though mourners have repeatedly called for the killing of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Talks on a final deal had been expected to begin after Khamenei’s burial and were to focus on the hardest issues, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme. The new attacks have now thrown that process into question.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X: “The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.” Iran also warned Washington it would “take whatever measures it deems necessary”.

The US military’s Central Command said American forces launched the strikes “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.” It said the strikes hit Iranian targets including air defence systems, radars and more than 60 small boats used by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which have played a key role in harassing ships in the strait. The US military added that it remained “postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable when the agreement is not adhered to or obeyed”, and said this round of attacks had ended.

Iran acknowledged the strikes but gave no details of any losses. State media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm and Sirik. Iran’s central military command said it “will respond decisively to this aggression and terrorist act”. It added: “Under no circumstances will (the Iranian armed forces) allow interference in the affairs of the Strait of Hormuz, nor will they permit others to manage it.” A similar round of Iranian attacks on shipping and US retaliatory strikes late last month had also led to Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait. Wednesday’s strikes also came while Trump was in Turkey for a NATO summit.

Washington also revoked a licence that had allowed the sale of Iranian oil under the interim deal, enabling Tehran for the first time in years to conduct oil sales openly on the international market in US dollars. Iran had long been suspected of selling sanctioned crude at below-market prices to China. The move came after the shipping attacks. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, one tanker travelling off Oman was hit and caught fire. Iranian state television said the liquefied natural gas tanker was attacked after ignoring warnings, but did not directly claim responsibility.

The other two ships suffered some damage, but no one was injured and both continued through the Strait of Hormuz, the UK maritime agency said. Since the war began, Iran has maintained a chokehold on the strait, disrupting global energy markets as one-fifth of traded oil and natural gas passed through the channel in peacetime. The three ships attacked on Tuesday appeared to be using a route close to Oman’s shore, rather than one ordered by Tehran. Iran has repeatedly said only its approved route through the strait is safe and is suspected of attacking other ships that used the Oman route.

Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat had been targeted in an “unacceptable attack” on international navigation and global energy security. He said Qatar holds Iran “fully legally responsible”. Under the interim deal, Iran and the United States had agreed to allow ships to pass without charges for 60 days. But Tehran insisted it must control vessels’ routes and later impose passage fees, something that would overturn decades of practice in the waterway. The US and many Gulf Arab states have said they will not agree to Iran charging for passage through the strait.

In sum, the US strikes on Iran, Tehran’s response, and Washington’s move against Iranian oil sales have put fresh pressure on an already fragile truce, while also deepening uncertainty over shipping security and future negotiations on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.

With PTI Inputs

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