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US-Iran news highlights: US launches fresh strikes on Iran; explosions reported in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island
The updates to this live blog have ended. Our latest coverage on the US-Iran war has moved here – follow for regular, real-time updates on the conflict.
- 7:18 AM IST, July 13This live blog has now ended
- 6:52 AM IST, July 13Oil jumps as US-Iran tit-for-tat strikes escalate
- 6:35 AM IST, July 13US says IRGC fired at commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz
- 6:21 AM IST, July 13US strike on Iran water pumping station kills one, injures four, says Iran
- 6:07 AM IST, July 13Ro Khanna slams Israeli envoy over West Bank detention remarks
- 10:54 PM IST, July 12Qeshm Island, Iran's largest, under attack
- 10:52 PM IST, July 12UN chief urges US, Iran to halt new fighting, resume talks
- 10:46 PM IST, July 12Kuwait says three border posts, offshore oil platform attacked
- 10:32 PM IST, July 12One killed, two injured in attacks on southern Iran, reports state media
- 10:17 PM IST, July 12US conducts strikes on Iran missile systems around Strait of Hormuz, says report
- 10:07 PM IST, July 12US targeted IRGC small boats, says report
- 10:06 PM IST, July 12Iran's IRNA says 'enemy' launches missiles towards Qeshm Island
- 10:05 PM IST, July 12Iran says no casualties reported
- 9:50 PM IST, July 12Explosions heard near Iran's Bandar Abbas and coastal Qeshm, reports state media
- 9:23 PM IST, July 12Iran declares Hormuz strait closed, US military insists traffic flowing
- 8:29 PM IST, July 12US-Iran war latest news: US warns of 'overwhelming force' if Iran attacks shipping
- 8:09 PM IST, July 12Iranian state TV 'congratulates' citizens after US Senator's sudden death
- 8:07 PM IST, July 12India condemns attack on GFS Galaxy vessel off Oman's coast
- 7:37 PM IST, July 12Trump says US hit Iran 'very hard' in latest attacks
- 7:32 PM IST, July 12Iran denies passage through Strait of Hormuz even as US claims freedom of navigation
- 7:30 PM IST, July 12They agreed to deal and then…, says Trump on Iran
- 7:16 PM IST, July 12Israeli attacks in Gaza kill three people, including a girl, say medics
- 7:13 PM IST, July 12Israeli attacks in Gaza kill five people, including a girl, say medics
- 6:58 PM IST, July 12Trump says Strait of Hormuz open to commercial traffic
- 6:23 PM IST, July 12US centcom says Hormuz open for all, prepared to ensure freedom of navigation
- 5:59 PM IST, July 12Oman summons Iranian ambassador, issues formal protest after attack, reports state media
- 5:01 PM IST, July 12Ghalibaf warns US after trade of strikes in Strait of Hormuz
- 4:44 PM IST, July 12Iraqi prime minister to visit Washington on Monday; oil and gas deals expected
- 4:33 PM IST, July 12Oman says 23 members of GFS Galaxy vessel rescued, search on for one crew member
- 4:23 PM IST, July 12Military strikes, nuclear attack or nothing? What happens if Iran assassinates Trump
- 4:12 PM IST, July 12What we know about the Iranian army officer killed in strikes
- 4:02 PM IST, July 12Iran says soldier killed in overnight US-Israeli strikes as clashes flare again
- 3:49 PM IST, July 12Iran newspaper lists Trump, European leaders as revenge targets
- 3:47 PM IST, July 12Qatar condemns Iranian attacks on Gulf nations
- 3:37 PM IST, July 12Iran says Hormuz important than a ‘dozen atomic bombs’
- 3:13 PM IST, July 12Qatar says continuation of attacks a ‘serious escalation’
- 3:11 PM IST, July 12Qatar condemns Iranian strikes on its territory
- 3:10 PM IST, July 12Qatar suspends all maritime sailing, fishing boat ops
- 3:05 PM IST, July 12Washington says it hit 140 targets
- 3:01 PM IST, July 12One Indian national missing after vessel hit off the coast Oman
- 2:51 PM IST, July 12Keep your word or pay the price, says Iran leader in fresh warning to US
- 2:32 PM IST, July 12Pak Deputy PM Dar calls for de-escalation in West Asia
- 2:18 PM IST, July 12Khondab region in central Iran comes under attack
- 2:10 PM IST, July 12Three Iranian missiles land in Jordan
- 1:48 PM IST, July 12Pakistan urges restraint, calls for diplomacy in Iran conflict
- 1:34 PM IST, July 12US strikes reported in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask and Khuzestan province
- 1:27 PM IST, July 12Iran claims back-to-back vessel attacks in Strait of Hormuz
- 12:40 PM IST, July 12Iran drones strike sites in Oman
- 12:27 PM IST, July 12Three injured in Qatar from falling shrapnel
- 12:22 PM IST, July 12Iran claims strikes on US-linked sites in Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar
- 11:39 AM IST, July 12Iran releases footage of pre-dawn retaliatory strikes on US positions
- 11:30 AM IST, July 12Iran, Oman discuss shipping arrangements in Hormuz Strait
- 11:23 AM IST, July 12US air strikes hit outskirts of Iran's Veysian; no casualties reported
- 11:20 AM IST, July 12Iran accuses US of creating 'illegal route' in Strait of Hormuz
- 11:14 AM IST, July 12US strikes military base in Iran's Khondab, says report
- 11:11 AM IST, July 12Former Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies at 74
- 10:58 AM IST, July 12Tehran says 'era of one-sided deals is over'
- 10:47 AM IST, July 12Video shows smoke rising near US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain
- 10:41 AM IST, July 12Pakistan, Saudi Arabia voice concern over escalating conflict
- 10:37 AM IST, July 12Iran Guards claim second vessel struck in Hormuz Strait
- 10:17 AM IST, July 12CENTCOM says over 300 Iranian targets hit in three nights of strikes
- 10:10 AM IST, July 12IRGC claims attack on US military support facilities in Oman, shares video
- 9:48 AM IST, July 12IRGC claims strike on support facilities for US carrier operations in Oman
- 9:30 AM IST, July 12US says it struck around 140 Iranian military targets in latest wave of attacks
- 9:20 AM IST, July 12Explosions reported across southern Iran after fresh US strikes
- 9:12 AM IST, July 12Mojtaba Khamenei vows revenge after father's killing
- 9:07 AM IST, July 12Hegseth says Tehran 'made a poor choice'
US-Iran news highlights: The updates to this live blog have ended. Iranian state media are reporting new attacks on military targets on Iran’s Qeshm island, near the Strait of Hormuz. This blog has now ended. Track live updates here. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency cited the island’s governor as saying just under a dozen projectiles had been fired since Sunday afternoon. While initially it was being reported that no casualties had taken place, Iranian state media reported later that one person had died and two were injured in the attacks....Read More
There was no immediate comment by the U.S. military, which earlier Sunday said it struck about 140 targets in Iran in response to the latest Iranian strike on a commercial ship on the strait.
The largest island in the Persian Gulf is home to about 150,000 people.
Explosions were heard in Kuwait on Sunday evening, Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported, citing sources. Kuwait, among other Gulf nations, has come under Iranian attack after US bombing of Iran in renewed tensions over the past few days.
An Iranian leader on on Sunday said the Strait of Hormuz was more important than "dozens of atomic bombs", vowing to protect the vital waterway.
"This strategic passage is more important than dozens of atomic bombs, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will protect it," Mohsen Rezaee was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying.
The conflict between the United States and Iran escalated sharply on Sunday as Washington launched a fresh round of strikes targeting Iran’s coastal energy infrastructure, while Tehran announced the closure of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz “until further notice”.
The developments came amid rising tensions in the Gulf after Iran stopped a cargo vessel in the strait and the US blamed Tehran for an attack on a commercial ship near Oman, further dimming prospects for renewed diplomatic talks.
US launches third round of strikes
The US carried out its third round of strikes on Iran this week, targeting facilities linked to Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Gulf.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), President Donald Trump ordered the strikes after Iranian forces allegedly attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship. Iranian state media reported explosions across several locations along the country's southern coastline, including the energy and petrochemical hubs of Bushehr and Asalouyeh.
Blasts were also reported in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar-e Dayyer, as well as Sirik, a coastal area near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran declares Hormuz Strait closed
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed and said no vessels would be allowed to pass through until what it described as foreign interference comes to an end.
According to state-run IRIB News, the IRGC said it intercepted a cargo vessel after firing a warning shot when the ship attempted to transit the waterway on Saturday despite being instructed not to do so.
Ship crew abandons vessel off Oman
The latest escalation followed an incident involving a commercial vessel off the coast of Oman.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said the crew of the damaged ship had abandoned the vessel after it suffered serious damage.
"UKMTO has been informed by military authorities and the CSO of the vessel that the crew have abandoned the vessel and are currently embarked in a lifeboat," it said of the incident that took place around 17 kilometres (10 miles) east of Oman.
US Central Command said the ship sustained significant damage, leaving it unable to continue its voyage. It also said one civilian crew member remains missing.
Earlier, Iran had stated that it stopped a ship in the Strait of Hormuz after it allegedly ignored repeated instructions to follow an approved transit route.
UAE responds to missile threat
As tensions spread across the Gulf region, the United Arab Emirates said its air defence systems had been activated in response to a missile threat.
The UAE defence ministry said on Sunday that its air defence network was responding to the situation, underscoring concerns that the confrontation could widen beyond the immediate US-Iran theatre.
Trump issues warning
The escalation comes days after Trump intensified his rhetoric against Tehran.
On Friday, he warned Iran that the US would respond forcefully if any threat against him materialised, saying he would shower the country with “1000 Missiles” if it acted on threats to kill the US president, “in this case, ME!”
The Trump administration has also demanded that Iran publicly guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and commit to refraining from attacks on civilian shipping. Senior US officials warned that Tehran would face consequences if it failed to provide such assurances.
US-Iran war LIVE: Oil jumps as US-Iran tit-for-tat strikes escalate
US-Iran war LIVE: Oil prices surged in early trading after the United States launched fresh strikes on Iran amid the escalating standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude rose 3.3% to $78.50 a barrel, rebounding from a recent low of $70.14, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 3.4% to $73.83 a barrel. The gains came as renewed military exchanges heightened concerns over potential disruptions to global oil supplies through the key shipping route.
US-Iran war LIVE: US says IRGC fired at commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz
US-Iran war LIVE: The US military says Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has fired at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz over the past hour.
US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said US forces shot down an Iranian cruise missile and a one-way attack drone, as Washington launched a fresh wave of strikes targeting Iranian military assets it says threaten commercial shipping, as per Al Jazeera.
While US President Donald Trump has said the strait remains open, Iran insists it is seeking to close the waterway until US interference ends. Shipping traffic through Hormuz has dropped sharply, according to Kpler, while Brent crude has climbed to around $79 a barrel, adding to domestic political pressure on the Trump administration over rising fuel prices.
US-Iran war LIVE: US strike on Iran water pumping station kills one, injures four, says Iran
US-Iran war LIVE: Iran's Khuzestan provincial authorities said a US projectile struck an agricultural water pumping station in Mahshahr early on Sunday, killing one person and injuring four others. According to state news agency IRNA, the person killed was a security guard at the facility. Deputy Governor for Security and Law Enforcement Valiollah Hayati said emergency and medical teams were treating the injured.
US-Iran war LIVE: Ro Khanna slams Israeli envoy over West Bank detention remarks
US-Iran war LIVE: US Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has criticised Israel's ambassador to the US, Michael Leiter, calling his remarks on Khanna's detention by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank the "height of arrogance". Leiter said Khanna had failed to coordinate his visit with Israeli authorities, despite Khanna's office maintaining that it had done so. Responding on X, Khanna said that if a US lawmaker and American citizens were illegally detained by settlers and the military of any other country, that nation's ambassador would apologise to the American people and act against those responsible.
US-Iran war LIVE: US shoots down Iranian missile and drone as IRGC fires at ships in Strait of Hormuz
According to Al Jazeera a US Central Command spokesperson told them that, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have fired at commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz over the past hour. Captain Tim Hawkins said US aircraft have so far shot down an Iranian cruise missile and a one-way attack drone.
This comes after CENTCOM announced a fresh wave of US attacks on Iranian military targets, which began about two hours ago, aimed at degrading Iran's ability to target commercial shipping and Iranian vessels in the waterway.
US-Iran war latest updates: Oil prices rise as Strait of Hormuz shipping drops amid renewed attacks
According to The New York Times, Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, opened about 3.5 percent higher on Sunday to nearly $79 a barrel, up nearly 9 percent from its pre-war price.
Daily ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of the world's oil, recently dropped to the lowest level in weeks, with only 22 ships passing through on Thursday, according to Kpler. More than 130 vessels passed through daily before the war.
The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States remains 30 percent higher than before the war, rising slightly to $3.88 a gallon on Sunday from $3.80 a gallon a week earlier, according to the AAA motor club.
US-Iran war LIVE: Two explosions heard near Khondab
According to Iranian SNN, residents of Khondab, in Iran's Markazi province have reported hearing two explosions.
The deputy governor of Markazi province said the sounds were caused by what he described as “enemy projectiles” landing in an area outside the city, as per Al Jazeera.
US-Iran war LIVE: US strikes hit telecommunications tower near Strait of Hormuz
According to initial reports from Iran's state media, among the targets of tonight's US strikes was a telecommunications tower near the village of Tahroi in Sirik, Hormozgan Province which abuts the Strait of Hormuz.
The regional government said there were no reported civilian casualties or damage to residential or commercial infrastructure, as per New York Times.
US-Iran war LIVE: US says it has begun new strikes on Iran
US Central Command has said it began a fresh round of strikes on Iran, aimed at "degrading" Tehran's ability to disrupt commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
As per CENTCOM's statement, “At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
CENTCOM added, “The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable.”
US-Iran war latest updates: More explosions reported in Qeshm Island, Jask, Sirik and Bandar Abbas
According to Iran's state TV as cited by Al Jazeera, explosions have been heard in Qeshm Island as well as Jask.
State TV also reported explosions near Sirik and west of Bandar Abbas. This comes after the US military announced a set of attacks on Iran.
US-Iran war LIVE: UN chief warns of 'catastrophic consequences' amid Gulf escalation
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday he was "deeply concerned by the serious escalation and renewed military confrontations in the Gulf." As per his statement, this includes "the Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the attacks by the US on Iran, and the attacks by Iran on targets in the neighboring countries."
“These attacks must all stop,” Guterres said, warning that “a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences - for the peoples of the region, for international peace & security & for the global economy.”
He added, “I urge Iran & the US to urgently resume negotiations & to address outstanding issues through diplomacy.”
US-Iran war LIVE: Gaza death toll rises as Israeli attacks continue
According to Wafa news agency, citing medical sources in Gaza, at least 73,223 people have been killed and 173,654 wounded in Israel's war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The continued attacks in Gaza are in violation of the "ceasefire" agreed in October, with at least 1,098 Palestinians killed and 3,535 wounded since then, as per Al Jazeera.
US-Iran war latest updates: Iran says it targeted US HIMARS launchers in Kuwait with drone strikes
According to Al Jazeera, Iran's Fars news agency says that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used drones to attack US High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missile launchers and their ammunition storage sites in Kuwait.
Hours earlier, Kuwait's defense spokesperson said a “criminal attack” had damaged three border posts and an offshore oil drilling platform. One worker was injured in the attack.
US-Iran war latest updates: Iran reports 4200MW drop in power grid after war damage
As per Iran's state-run power company Tavanir, the country's electricity grid has lost 4200MW of capacity following the latest US strikes.
According to CNBC TV18, the utility said more than 2000 points on the network were damaged, with officials urging public support as the power sector also grapples with peak summer demand.
US-Iran war LIVE: Lebanon death toll rises
Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 4,322 people and injured 12,219 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.
US-Iran war latest news: Kuwait reports ‘hostile’ attacks on border posts and offshore oil rig
Kuwait's Ministry of Defense said on Sunday that three land border posts in the north of the country were damaged in what it called a “hostile, criminal attack.” An offshore drilling rig belonging to the Kuwait Oil Company was also hit by a hostile drone.
As per a statement by the ministry's official spokesperson, Staff Colonel Saud Abdulaziz Al-Atwan, the attacks caused material damage. One worker was injured in the drone strike on the offshore drilling rig, located in Kuwaiti territorial waters, and is receiving the necessary medical care, as per CNN.
According to the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army, the armed forces remain on full readiness and are taking “all necessary measures and precautions to maintain the security of the country and the safety of its territories.”
US-Iran war latest news: Qeshm Island, Iran's largest, under attack
US-Iran war latest news: Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency cited the governor of Qeshm island, located near the strait, as saying under a dozen projectiles had been fired at military targets there, with no casualties. There was no immediate U.S. military comment. The largest island in the Persian Gulf is home to about 150,000 people.
IRNA said explosions were also heard in the coastal city of Bandar Abbas and inland, in Hajiabad, a city to the north.
The exchanges came as Iran and the U.S. are nearly at the midway point of the 60-day period of their interim deal aimed at reaching a permanent end to the war.
via AP
US-Iran war latest news: UN chief urges US, Iran to halt new fighting, resume talks
US-Iran war latest news: The chief of United Nations has urged the US and Iran to halt new fighting and resume talks.
US-Iran war latest news: Kuwait says three border posts, offshore oil platform attacked
US-Iran war latest news: Kuwait's defence ministry said on Sunday that three border posts and an offshore oil platform were attacked during a fresh exchange of strikes between the United States and Iran.
"Three land border posts in the north of the country were subjected to a cowardly attack, resulting in material damage," the statement said, without specifying the origin of the assault. It added that an "offshore drilling platform belonging to the Kuwait Oil Company... was targeted by a hostile drone, resulting in material damage and the injury of one worker".
via AFP
US-Iran war latest news: One killed, two injured in attacks on southern Iran, reports state media
US-Iran war latest news: One killed, two injured in attacks on southern Iran, reports state media.
US-Iran war latest news: US conducts strikes on Iran missile systems around Strait of Hormuz, says report
US-Iran war latest news: The US carried out several strikes on Iranian missile and air defense systems and targeted small speed boats of the IRGC at several locations around the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported on Sunday, citing a senior US official.
US-Iran war latest news: US targeted IRGC small boats, says report
US-Iran war latest news: The US has also targeted IRGC small boats at a couple of location around the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported.
US-Iran war latest news: Iran's IRNA says 'enemy' launches missiles towards Qeshm Island
US-Iran war latest news: Iran's IRNA state news agency said missiles were launched by the "enemy" towards Qeshm Island on Sunday afternoon, adding that no casualties were reported.
via Reuters
US-Iran war latest news: Iran says no casualties reported
US-Iran war latest news: Iran's IRNA state news agency said missiles were launched by the "enemy" towards Qeshm Island on Sunday afternoon, adding that no casualties were reported.
via Reuters
