US-Iran news highlights: US launches fresh strikes on Iran; explosions reported in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island

People walk next to a symbolic mockup of an Iranian missile at Imam Hussein Square in Tehran, Iran, July 12, 2026.

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.

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.