US strikes Iran after Hormuz vessel attack; Tehran retaliates across Gulf

Vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab, Oman. Pic/AFP

The US attacked Iran early on Sunday morning over an Iranian strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz that set the container ship ablaze and forced its crew to abandon it. Iran responded with attacks targeting several countries in the Gulf, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.

The US said it hit some 140 targets in Sunday's strikes, far more than in the two previous attacks, and went after missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment and other sites. It said the attacks would weaken Iran's ability to threaten civilian shipping.

Iran retaliated by attacking nations in the region hosting US military forces, while insisting it alone must control the strait and potentially charge vessels for travelling through it. Meanwhile, India condemned an attack on a Cyprus-flagged ship off the coast of Oman that left one of its 11 Indian crew members missing.

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