US Launches Fresh Strikes on Iran

as Tehran Retaliates Against Gulf States

Report By Y-Trendz

DUBAI/WASHINGTON — July 13, 2026 — The fragile calm in the Middle East has collapsed once again, as the United States carried out a new wave of airstrikes against Iran over the weekend,

prompting Tehran to strike back at multiple Gulf nations in one of the most serious escalations since the war between the two countries began in late February.

Strikes Triggered by Attack on Commercial Vessel

The latest round of hostilities was ignited after Iran struck a container ship attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz using a route Tehran considers unauthorized. In response, Washington struck Iranian targets, and Tehran retaliated by launching missiles and drones at U.S. bases across the Persian Gulf, with the overnight exchanges involving dozens of targets on both sides.

U.S. military officials said the strikes hit roughly 140 targets inside Iran overnight, while Iranian officials said their forces responded with fire directed at Jordan and other Gulf states. The U.S. Central Command described the operation as necessary to hold Iranian forces accountable following the attack on a Cyprus-flagged vessel in the strait, according to Al Jazeera's reporting.

Iran Strikes Five Gulf Nations, Declares Hormuz Closed

Iran has now mounted attacks on Gulf states and declared the Strait of Hormuz closed following the third round of U.S. strikes in a single week, marking a serious escalation of the spiraling conflict. Tehran said on Sunday that it had struck Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Oman, framing the attacks as retaliation for renewed American bombing along Iran's southern coast.

Sirens sounded across several Gulf countries as governments urged residents to shelter indoors. Oman said it was taking all necessary measures to protect the safety of the country and its residents, and formally condemned the attack. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar both reported successfully intercepting incoming missile fire, according to Washington Post reporting.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps also claimed responsibility for a surprise strike on logistics and refueling facilities used by U.S. aircraft carriers at the port of Duqm in Oman, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

Dispute Over the Strait of Hormuz

At the heart of the renewed fighting is control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas passed before the war began. The U.S. says its strikes are intended to degrade Iran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation through the strait.

Iran, however, insists that only Iranian-approved routes should be used for transit and says it is willing to manage the waterway jointly only with Oman, the other nation bordering the strait. The U.S. and Gulf Cooperation Council countries have rejected this claim and are demanding navigation free of interference or fees.

The dispute traces back to talks between Iranian and Omani foreign ministers over the strait's management, after which the latest violence broke out. Oman said discussions with Iran on the strait would continue at both technical and political levels, though Tehran has not agreed to open the waterway fully to all shipping — a key demand of the Trump administration.

Ceasefire Effectively Collapsed

President Trump had declared the prior ceasefire arrangement "over" following days of tit-for-tat strikes, and mediators — including Pakistan, Qatar and Egypt — have struggled to keep negotiations alive. Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, issued defiant statements on social media, warning further strikes would be met with retaliation and declaring an end to what he called one-sided agreements.

Pakistan's deputy foreign minister has urged both sides to return to dialogue, but hardline rhetoric from Tehran's Revolutionary Guard suggests little appetite for de-escalation in the immediate term.

Mounting Casualties

Iran's Health Ministry has reported that strikes over the past two rounds killed at least 17 people and wounded 115 others. Iranian officials in Bushehr province — home to Iran's nuclear power facility — said American forces struck five cities in the region, though the nuclear plant itself, operated by Russian technicians, was reported undamaged in earlier rounds of fighting.

The violence has also coincided with the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the initial February strikes, adding a heavy political and emotional backdrop to the latest exchange of fire.

Regional Fallout

The renewed fighting threatens to derail an interim deal aimed at ending the broader war and has left Gulf nations bracing for further attacks. Analysts note that both Washington and Tehran appear to be waiting for the other side to back down, raising the risk of continued escalation in the days ahead.

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This report is based on current news coverage as of July 13, 2026. Given the fast-moving nature of the conflict, further developments should be expected.