Tehran, July 13:
The conflict between the United States and Iran escalated sharply on Sunday after the U.S. launched large-scale airstrikes on Iranian military targets in response to an Iranian attack on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The ship caught fire, forcing its crew to abandon it, while one Indian crew member remained missing after rescue operations.
According to the U.S. Central Command, around 140 targets were struck, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition depots and communications facilities, with Washington saying the operation aimed to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten international shipping.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran would “pay” for attacking civilian vessels.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks on US military installations in Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
The IRGC claimed it damaged the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and logistical facilities supporting US.aircraft carriers in Oman’s Duqm port.
It also claimed to have struck Patriot air defence systems and radar installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, while warning of harsher retaliation if U.S. attacks continue.
Missile alerts were activated across Gulf countries. Qatar said it intercepted incoming missiles, though falling debris injured three people.
Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman also reported interceptions or attacks, while Jordan confirmed minor damage from Iranian missiles. Oman later summoned the Iranian ambassador in protest.
Iran also announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until further notice, blaming foreign military intervention for regional insecurity.
The strategic waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas normally passes, remains at the centre of the conflict.
The latest violence has further weakened efforts to preserve the 60-day ceasefire agreed on June 17.
Diplomatic talks involving Oman and other regional mediators continue, but repeated military exchanges have pushed negotiations toward collapse, raising fears of a wider regional war and renewed disruption to global energy supplies.
President Donald Trump said he has left standing orders for the U.S. military to launch overwhelming strikes against Iran if Tehran assassinates him. However, experts note that the US has no legal or technical mechanism for an automatic military response, often referred to as a “dead man’s switch.”
If a president dies, authority immediately transfers to the vice president under the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act. In such a scenario, Vice President JD Vance would become commander in chief and decide whether to carry out Trump’s desired retaliation, modify it or reject it altogether.