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US attacks Iran over ship being hit in Strait of Hormuz; Tehran lashes out again at Gulf Arab states
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Vahid Salemi/AP hide caption
The U.S. The U.S.
Middle East U.S. The United Arab Emirates and Qatari officials later reported intercepting incoming missile attacks.
The U.S. has urged ships to use a southern route through the strait that hugs the coast of Oman. Iran has said this violates the memorandum of understanding signed last month between Iran and the United States.
In turn, the U.S.
Vahid Salemi/AP hide caption
On Saturday, Iran had wrapped up talks with Oman on how to manage the strait. A day later, the sultanate's news agency reported Iranian drones had struck some sites in Oman.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in February.
Posting on social media after returning to the U.S., Khanna condemned what he saw on a visit to the West Bank, including attacks on Palestinians and their villages by Israeli settlers.
According to the United Nations, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been displaced in the past two years due to Israeli military action and settler violence.
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− launches fresh strikes on Iran as Tehran says it has closed Strait of Hormuz The U.S.
+ launches fresh strikes on Iran as Tehran says it closed Strait of Hormuz The U.S.
− military saying it hit 140 targets in Iran overnight, while Iran said it responded with fire toward Jordan and other Gulf states.
+ military saying it hit 140 targets in Iran, while Iran said it responded with fire toward Jordan and other Gulf states.
− By
NPR Staff
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.
+ By
NPR Staff
A man holds a poster of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a gathering commemorating him at a square in Tehran on Saturday.
− and Iran have exchanged fire for the third weekend in a row, days after President Trump declared that the ceasefire between the two countries was "over."
The latest back-and-forth strikes began after Iran fired at a ship attempting to transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
+ and Iran exchanged fire for the third weekend in a row as Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, days after President Trump declared that the ceasefire between the two countries was "over."
On Saturday, Iran fired at and disabled a commercial ship passing through the strait and said it was closing the vital waterway completely.
− then retaliated, striking multiple sites in Iran.
+ retaliated, striking multiple sites in Iran.
− and Iran exchange intensifying fire across Mideast, threatening ceasefire deal In a statement reported by state media, Iran's navy said it fired warning shots that hit the container vessel after "several ships attempted to travel along an unapproved route" through the waterway, which is a vital global trade route.
+ and Iran exchange intensifying fire across Mideast, threatening ceasefire deal Trump on Sunday rejected Iran's claim that the strait was closed.
− The U.S.
+ "It's open.
− Central Command said the Iranian shots led to one civilian crew member going missing, and the vessel abandoning its journey thanks to an "onboard fire and significant engine room damage."
Hours later, in a post on X, Central Command said it completed a third round of strikes overnight – hitting 140 targets – to hold "Iranian forces accountable for its attack on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz."
"During three nights of strikes this week, CENTCOM has struck more than 300 targets at the direction of the Commander in Chief to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the strait," it added.
+ We bombed the hell out of them last night," he told NBC's Meet the Press.
He said that Tehran had agreed to "a perfect deal for us" in negotiations on Saturday, without giving details.
− "Commercial vessel transits through the vital international maritime corridor continue."
On Saturday night, U.S.
+ "No nuclear, no this, no that, no nothing.
− Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media, "Iran made a poor choice.
+ They gave up everything," he said.
− Now they pay."
On Sunday, Iran said it responded with fire toward Jordan and other Gulf states.
+ "And then after that, they left the room.
+ And then within an hour, they launched a drone at a ship."
NPR wasn't immediately able to confirm any details of a deal.
Iran said on Sunday it responded to the American strikes with fire toward Jordan and other Gulf states.
+ Kuwait's Ministry of Defense said border posts and an offshore drilling platform were hit, state media reported.
− This latest round of strikes started Wednesday.
+ U.S.
− Hours after three merchant ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S.
+ Central Command said it launched a fresh round of strikes against Iran at 5 p.m.
− military launched new strikes against Iran.
+ ET on Sunday "to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
In a statement reported by state media early Sunday in Tehran, Iran's navy said it fired warning shots that hit a Cyprus-flagged container vessel in the Strait of Hormuz after "several ships attempted to travel along an unapproved route" through the waterway, which is a vital global trade route.
+ U.S. Central Command said the Iranian shots led to one civilian crew member going missing and the vessel abandoning its journey, thanks to an "onboard fire and significant engine room damage."
Hours after the commercial ship was hit, Central Command announced on X that it hit about 140 military targets in a third round of strikes to hold "Iranian forces accountable for its attack on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz."
The latest round of strikes started Wednesday, when the U.S. military fired at Iranian targets after three merchant ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz.
− has also accused Iran of breaching the memorandum, saying in a statement: "Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed."
The confusion over the memorandum comes alongside competing claims over whether the Strait of Hormuz is open.
+ has also accused Iran of breaching the memorandum.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a new government agency Iran created to collect tolls and coordinate transit through the strait, posted on X early on Sunday that "passage through the Strait of Hormuz is currently not possible," blaming the U.S.
− Following the exchange of strikes, Iran said it was closing off the strait completely and not allowing any vessels to transit.
+ military.
U.S.
− However, the U.S.
+ Central Command also disputed the closure.
− Central Command said on Sunday that the strait was open.
+ The strait "remains an international waterway. U.S. forces are positioned and prepared to keep it that way," it posted on X.
− A pro-government demonstrator waves an Iranian flag in a gathering commemorating the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a square in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 11, 2026.
+ A pro-government demonstrator waves an Iranian flag in a gathering commemorating the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a square in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday.
− In response to the latest hostilities, regional mediators in Pakistan and Oman have urged diplomacy.
+ In response to the latest hostilities, regional mediators in Pakistan and Oman urged diplomacy.
− Posting on social media on Sunday, Pakistan's deputy foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said he had told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that "dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path to resolving disputes."
But top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER" and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later said it had again fired on a ship trying to get through the Strait.
+ Posting on social media on Sunday, Pakistan's deputy foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said he had told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that "dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path to resolving disputes."
But top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER" and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later said it had again fired on a ship trying to get through the strait.
− Middle East Dayslong funeral for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei begins in Tehran The Iranian strikes follow a defiant message from Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who delivered an address after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried.
+ United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he was "deeply concerned by the serious escalation and renewed military confrontations in the Gulf," including attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S.
+ attacks on Iran, and Iran's targeting of neighboring countries. "These attacks must all stop," he said in a statement on Sunday, warning that "a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences."
Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to Guterres in a post on X saying: "This is not a 'military confrontation.' It is the continuation of a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression initiated on 28 February by the United States and Israel."
Middle East Dayslong funeral for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei begins in Tehran The Iranian strikes follow a defiant message from new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who delivered an address after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried.
− "We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers," the new Ayatollah was quoted as saying.
+ "We pledge to avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers," the new ayatollah was quoted as saying.
− Meanwhile, with tensions high in the region, California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna raised concerns when he said he was threatened by Israeli settlers during a recent visit to the Occupied West Bank.
+ Meanwhile, with tensions high in the region, California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna raised concerns when he said he was threatened by armed Israeli settlers during a recent visit to the occupied West Bank.
− Khanna said Israeli soldiers aided the attackers and blocked him from leaving.
+ Khanna said Israeli soldiers aided the settlers and blocked him from leaving.
− Middle East conflict In a West Bank cave, Israelis and Palestinians hold an out-of-the-ordinary lunch Khanna, who says he's considering a 2028 presidential run, described feeling helpless for 90 minutes when Israeli soldiers arrived and didn't assist him.
+ Middle East conflict In a West Bank cave, Israelis and Palestinians hold an out-of-the-ordinary lunch In a statement, Israel's military told NPR that soldiers did not block the congressman's exit.
− In a statement, Israel's military told NPR that soldiers did not block the congressman's exit.
− NPR's Carrie Kahn and Emily Feng in Tel Aviv, Nuha Musleh in Ramallah, Hadeel Al-Shalchi in Istanbul, and Robbie Griffiths in London contributed to this report.
+ NPR's Carrie Kahn and Emily Feng in Tel Aviv, Nuha Musleh in Ramallah, Hadeel Al-Shalchi in Istanbul, Robbie Griffiths in London and Shannon Bond in San Francisco contributed to this report.