US claims Strait of Hormuz ‘open’ amid attacks

Asked by US broadcaster NBC News about the status of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said the route is “open”.

In a separate interview with US outlet CNN, Trump said Iran was “attacked very powerfully last night.”

The US President claimed the US and Iran were close to a “deal” on Saturday.

“They were dropping everything, and then all of a sudden two hours later they hit a plane with a drone. These guys, there’s something wrong with them,” Trump said.

US Central Command said in a statement that “traffic is flowing” in the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting Iran’s claim that the sea route is closed.

“The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to legally transit the international waterway,” US Centcom said in a post on Twitter.

“US forces remain deployed and ready to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unjustified Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations,” CENTCOM said. “Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing.”

The Sultanate of Oman said it was summoning Iranian Ambassador to Oman Musa Farhang over Iranian attacks on Omani territory.

A statement from the Omani Foreign Ministry said it handed a letter of protest to the ambassador over Iranian drone attacks in the Omani Al Batinah and Musandam areas.

This is an extraordinary step by Oman, which usually plays the role of mediator in the region. Oman has taken a neutral stance on Middle Eastern affairs and maintains relations with the US and Iran.

Qatar’s Transport Ministry, “out of concern for public safety,” urged all owners and users of sea vessels to temporarily suspend navigation and maritime activities from Sunday.

The Transportation Ministry said the warning included recreational and fishing boats, jet skis and other watercraft. The warning continues until further notice.

The US-Israel war with Iran has escalated again, with the US launching a third round of strikes this week after Iran attacked a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Here’s a summary of the last few hours:

• The US military said it launched new strikes on Iran after Iranian forces attacked a cargo ship
• The attack caused a fire on the ship and the crew was forced to abandon ship.
• An Indian national is missing after commercial ship crashes east of Oman
• The navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) said it was closing the Strait of Hormuz
• The IRGC then said its forces had targeted US bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar with ballistic missiles and drones.
• Iran’s Parliament Speaker accused America of violating the agreement signed between the two countries in June.
• Pakistan’s Foreign Minister has called for ‘restraint’

Iranian state-run media said an Iranian army officer was killed in US strikes on Iranian territory overnight.

The report named the man killed in the attack on the port of Jask in southern Iran as “Lieutenant Hamidreza Dehghan”.

India on Sunday said one of its citizens is missing after a commercial ship, GFS Galaxy, crashed east of Oman amid fresh firing between Iran and the US.

Ten crew members were rescued, a statement said.

“Of the 11 Indian nationals on board the ship, 10 have been rescued so far, while one Indian national is reportedly missing,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.

The Indian Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and working in coordination with local authorities as search and rescue operations continue, the statement said.

Iran said it had earlier fired a warning shot that hit a ship sailing on an unapproved route.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on the parties involved in the Iran conflict to “show restraint” during a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

“The two leaders exchanged views on the evolving regional situation,” the statement said.

It said Dar “underscored that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable path to resolve disputes and achieve lasting peace and stability in the region.”

Pakistan has been mediating talks between the Iranian and US delegations and played a central role in brokering an agreement between the two sides in June.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has accused the US of violating the terms of the agreement signed by the two countries in June.

“The era of one-sided deals is over. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking,” Qalibaf said in a post on X on Sunday.

He also posted a screenshot of a section of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the US and Iran in mid-June, highlighting the part that said Iran “shall make arrangements” regarding the “safe passage of commercial vessels” through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier this week, Qalibaf called for a violation of the MOU by the US and said Hormuz “will open only with the ‘Iranian arrangement’, not with US threats.”

The US military launched new attacks on Iran late Saturday, accusing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of attacking a Cypriot-flagged container ship in the vital waterway.

Iran said it responded by targeting US bases and radar sites in the Gulf region with ballistic missiles and drones.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday they had targeted US bases and radar sites in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar with ballistic missiles and drones.

In retaliation against US attacks on Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said they had targeted a US military radar site in Kuwait and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, where a combat aircraft maintenance center and a command-and-control center were destroyed.

The IRGC also claimed to have destroyed logistics support centers and refueling platforms for US aircraft carriers at the port of Duqm in Oman.

The US military says its latest round of attacks against Iran has ended.

US military Central Command (CENTCOM) said the attack was aimed “to pin down Iranian forces responsible for attacking another commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.”

“US forces targeted approximately 140 Iranian military targets,” CENTCOM’s statement said, “including missile and drone sites, ammunition storage facilities, and coastal surveillance positions.”

It was the third round of strikes this week by US forces targeting more than 300 targets “on the orders of US President Donald Trump” to reduce Iran’s ability to attack civilian sailors and commercial ships passing through the strait, Centcom said.

America starts a new wave of attacks on Iran

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The UAE Defense Ministry said its air defense systems were responding to the missile threat.

The Defense Ministry said the sounds heard across the country were “the result of ongoing active operations of missiles and UAVs.”

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior has urged citizens and residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe place.

Both countries are allies of the United States and have previously been attacked by Iran following American attacks on Iran. The UAE hosts a US airbase, and the US Navy’s 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the crew of a vessel involved in an incident approximately nine nautical miles east of Oman (see entry below) has abandoned ship and is currently aboard a lifeboat.

The Maritime Security Agency said that this information was received from military officials and the security officer of the ship company.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on Twitter, reposting the CENTCOM announcement of the new attacks (see entry below) that “Iran made a bad choice. Now they pay.”

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it has received reports of a cargo ship being damaged 9 nautical miles off the coast of Oman.

“Military officials have reported that damage has been caused to the stern of a container ship, resulting in a fire on board,” UKMTO said in a statement.

Earlier, the US military said Iran had attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship trying to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran had declared closed on Sunday morning (see below).