• Hostilities resume:The US military said it hit 140 Iranian military targets in its latest strikes, following an attack on a merchant ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz it blamed on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It marks the United States’ third round of strikes in a week and comes after both countries’ leaders issued public threats
• Regional turbulence: Iranian state media claimed its forces had retaliated by targeting US military sites and assets in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. Authorities in those Gulf nations reported intercepting attacks
• Strait of Hormuz:Earlier Saturday, Oman drafted a tentative proposal for how to manage routes in the strait, ar weapons can’t progress until the strait is secure
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Thecrew of a container vessel reported damaged near the Strait of Hormuz has been rescued after being forced to abandon ship, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said
The crew was rescued by local authorities after escaping in a lifeboat, the vessel’s Company Security Officer (CSO) told the maritime organization Sunday morning local time
Around five hours prior, the UKMTO reported a fire aboard the ship after damaged was sustained to its rear while it was sailing east of Oman
It comes after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had fired a warning shot at a vessel trying to use an unauthorized route to cross the Strait of Hormuz, and declared the waterway closed
Earlier, US Central Command said the IRGC had “blatantly attacked” a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and that one crew member was missing. It is not known whether the two reports referred to the same vessel
Both the United States and Iran are locked in a controlled conflict where both sides do not want to restart full hostilities, a CNN military analyst said Sunday
Retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton described the recurring exchanges of fire as a “battle rhythm.”
For Iran, it has been attacking individual ships, Leighton said
Meanwhile, the US does not want to commit “massive ground forces” or stop Iranian attacks with military means as it sticks to diplomacy, he added
“This is kind of [what] we find ourselves in, diplomatic dance and military dance, and those synergies are the ones that they’re working through right now,” he said
Iran says it launched drone missiles toward US military targets in Kuwait and Bahrain
Iran targeted several US military sites across the Gulf early Sunday, Iranian state media reported, following the latest round of attacks launched by the US
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar
The IRGC also carried out what it said was a “heavy and surprise attack against logistics support facilities for naval vessels and refueling platforms used by US aircraft carriers at the Port of Duqm in Oman,”
In Kuwait, Iran’s army said it had launched loitering drones against US military assets, including a Patriot air defense system. And in Bahrain, home to the US 5th Fleet, Iran’s army claimed it targeted a communications system and a radar installation belonging to US forces
CNN was unable to verify the claims of attacks on US military sites. CNN has reached out to US Central Command
Qatar and Kuwait both reported intercepting aerial attacks early Sunday local time. In Bahrain, sirens sounded and officials warned residents to proceed to the nearest safe location
In Jordan, the IRGC claimed it destroyed military infrastructure including drone storage hangars at the Prince Hassan Air Base, Iranian media said
CNN’s Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report
Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 3.
Volatility in the Middle East continued on Sunday, as the US military launched fresh strikes against Iran following an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz
US forces said they hit about 140 Iranian military targets in their third round of strikes this week, a period in which both sides exchanged fire. The leaders of both countries also issued public threats this weekend
Here’s what to know about recent developments
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “blatantly attacked” a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the strait, and one crew member is missing
The IRGC said it fired a warning shot at a vessel trying to use an unauthorized route to cross the waterway, and declared the strait closed. The IRGC also decried what it referred to as “outside interference from foreign powers” in the form of several shipping vessels attempting to cross the strait
Crew members of a container vessel reported damaged near the Strait of Hormuz were forced to abandon ship, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center said in a separate statement. It did not give the name of the vessel
Following CENTCOM’s statement, Iranian state media reported explosions in the south of the country, mainly along the coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz. Blasts were heard in places including:
- Bushehr province, where a nuclear plant is located on the outskirts of Bushehr city
- Qeshm island, considered part of Iran’s “arch defense” near the Strait of Hormuz
- Bandar Abbas, a port city directly facing the Strait of Hormuz
Meanwhile, several nations in the Middle East saw threats or attacks:
- The IRGC said it launched “retaliatory strikes” on Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan
- UAE authorities said they were responding to missile and drone threats
- Bahrain activated sirens and told residents to seek shelter
- Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said it intercepted a missile attack targeting the country
Mediators had been pushing for diplomacy between the US and Iran after the two sides traded strikes earlier in the week and President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire “over.”
Meetings on Saturdaybetween Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart focused sharply on the Strait of Hormuz. Oman has drafted a tentative proposal to manage traffic in the strait, a
US officials have said that talks with Tehran can’t progress until ships are assured safe passage in the strait
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 18.
Oman has drafted a proposal to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz through two separately controlled routes, a
Under the agreement, which is yet to be finalized, both corridors would remain open. The Southern Corridor, through Omani territorial waters, would allow free navigation under pre-war conditions
Vessels transiting the Northern Corridor, through Iranian territorial waters, would require prior approval from Iran, although no tolls would be imposed under the deal
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, in Muscat on Saturday, during which both officials discussed mechanisms to ensure the safe passage of vessels in the waterway
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that “revenge” must be taken for the killing of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States and Israel
“Revenge is the demand of our nation and must certainly be carried out,” a statement carried by state-linked Fars news agency and attributed to him read
The pledge will be fulfilled “soon” whether “we are present or not,” the statement read
The warning came just hours after US President Donald Trump threatened to “decimate” Iran if it tries to kill him
He added that “orders have already been given” and the US military is “ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran.”
Israeli intelligence operatives recently told the Trump administration of alleged threats to assassinate the US leader. The threats, according to an Israeliehran’s hardline leadership
However, two USsments show no indication of a new, specific Iranian plot to kill Trump, but rather a steady drumbeat of chatter about various Iranian actors wanting to do so
