Iran fired missiles and drones at several Gulf neighbours on Sunday after fresh US strikes, according to the report, in a sharp escalation that widened the conflict across the region. Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates were all said to have come under attack.
The latest round of violence came after the US said it had carried out strikes on Iran earlier in the day. Those attacks followed an incident in which Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted a Cyprus-registered container ship it described as taking an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz. State media later reported that a second vessel was hit as well, with the IRGC accusing it of violating regulations.
US Central Command said its forces then struck at least 140 targets in Iran, including missile and drone sites, naval assets, ammunition depots, communications networks and surveillance positions. In response, the IRGC said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz until further notice and warned of a severe reaction to what it called American aggression. The waterway is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, carrying roughly a fifth of global oil supplies.
The escalation has raised fresh concerns over maritime security, with the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre describing the threat level in the strait as severe. Qatar’s transport ministry also urged vessel owners and users to suspend navigation and marine activity temporarily for safety reasons, as diplomatic efforts continued in the background.
Source: theguardian.com
