Heavy missile and drone attacks occurred between US and Iranian forces over the weekend. While Iran announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz again, clashes spread to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Jordan, and Oman.
Attacks spread to the Gulf
Iran carried out attacks targeting US facilities in the Gulf on Sunday. These attacks also included Qatar, which had previously mediated ceasefire talks and had not been attacked since April, and the UAE, which had not been targeted since early May.
Qatar announced that three people, including a child, were injured by falling shrapnel from the Iranian attack and held Iran "fully legally responsible." The UAE reported detecting missile threats outside its borders, while Bahrain announced it had intercepted several Iranian airstrikes. Jordan stated it was hit by a missile, and Oman said it was subjected to drone attacks.
Oman summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest the drone attacks in two areas. The US Embassy in Oman instructed its citizens in Duqm and Musandam to shelter in place.
Tension in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz after firing warning shots at a ship navigating an unauthorized route on Saturday night. On Sunday, it claimed to have disabled a second vessel. The newly established Iranian Gulf Strait Authority stated that transit is currently not possible due to "recent illegal movements by US military forces in the region" and that permits would be issued once stability is restored.
However, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces are deployed to maintain freedom of navigation despite Iran's "aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations," adding, "Iran does not control the strait. Traffic is flowing." The US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center also reiterated that an "expanded" southern route near Oman is open to two-way traffic despite the serious security threat.
Meanwhile, an Indian national was reported missing and 23 crew members were rescued after an attack on the container ship GFS Galaxy off Oman. Qatar advised all maritime vessels to suspend operations.
US counterattacks
US Central Command announced it struck 140 Iranian military targets on Saturday, destroying more than 300 targets in total over three nights this week. The strikes were said to aim at "degrading Iran's ability to freely transit civilian mariners and commercial vessels."
Iranian state media reported explosions in port cities and the death of an Iranian officer in "US-Israeli" strikes. In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to have destroyed a command and control center and drone hangars in US ally Jordan, targeted a US radar site in Kuwait, attacked US aircraft carrier support and refueling platforms in Oman, and destroyed a jet maintenance center and command facility in Qatar.
Strong messages from Iran
Iran's senior negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a post on X, "The era of unilateral agreements is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking on the door."
The escalation has cast uncertainty over the future of the interim US-Iran agreement signed last month, which aimed to reopen the strait and end the war after 60 days of negotiations. US President Donald Trump said last week he believed the ceasefire was over, while leaving the door open to further talks.
Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is driving up energy prices and fueling global inflation in this critical waterway, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed before the war. The rise in gasoline prices, in particular, carries political sensitivity for Trump ahead of the November congressional elections.
