US attacks Iran over ship being hit in Strait of Hormuz; Tehran lashes out again at Gulf Arab states

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Middle East US attacks Iran over ship being hit in Strait of Hormuz; Tehran lashes out again at Gulf Arab states July 11, 20269:32 PM ET By The Associated Press A man holds a poster of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a gathering commemorating him at a square in Tehran, Saturday, July 11, 2026. Vahid Salemi/AP hide caption toggle caption Vahid Salemi/AP DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States attacked Iran early Sunday 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 Feb. 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 Details

Sponsor Message The new crossfire in the Persian Gulf comes after U. President Donald Trump suggested an interim deal in the Iran war was "over. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote online: "Iran made a poor choice.

" Bahrain, Qatar and UAE all attacked The United Arab Emirates warned the public Sunday 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 U. 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. 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, U.

What Experts Say

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. Sponsor Message 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.

" 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 story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.