Iran reports new attacks on military targets on its largest island near the Strait of Hormuz

By — Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Jon Gambrell, Associated Press By — Will Weissert, Associated Press Will Weissert, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/iran-reports-new-attacks-on-military-targets-on-its-largest-island-near-the-strait-of-hormuz Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Iran reports new attacks on military targets on its largest island near the Strait of Hormuz World Updated on Jul 12, 2026 1:45 PM EDT — Published on Jul 12, 2026 11:22 AM EDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States attacked Iran on Sunday over an Iranian strike on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz that set it ablaze and left a crew member missing. Iran responded with attacks on countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman — the nation on the other side of the strait that Tehran has pressed to join in managing shipping traffic. The U.S. struck again later Sunday. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency cited the governor of Qeshm island near the strait as saying projectiles had been fired at military targets, with no casualties. IRNA said explosions were also heard in the coastal city of Bandar Abbas and Hajiabad city to the north. READ MORE: Fate of Strait of Hormuz challenges talks as Trump and Iran's supreme leader trade threats A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss military operations, said a few strikes were conducted on missile and air defense systems, as well as small boats of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard at a couple of locations around the strait to further degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping. Iran and the U.S. are nearly at the midway point of the 60-day period of their interim deal aimed at reaching a permanent end to the war. The strait, a key route for the global supply of oil and natural gas and long considered an international waterway, has become a sticking point in negotiations that seem in danger of collapse. The United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, was "deeply concerned by the serious escalation," according to a statement. Iran says the strait is closed and the U.S. disagrees The U.S. military's Central Command said earlier Sunday that it hit some 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment and other sites. It said the attacks, heavier than in recent days, would weaken Iran's ability to threaten shipping. "We bombed the hell out of them last night," President Donald Trump told NBC's "Meet the Press." Semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported that a navy officer was killed. Iran retaliated by attacking nations in the region hosting U.S. military forces, while insisting it alone must control the strait and potentially charge vessels for traveling through it. "The era of one-sided deals is OVER," Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament and a main nego