BREAKING: Iran Unleashes Revenge, BOMBS 4 American Allies | U.S Bases Targeted In UAE, Qatar, Jordan

Iran has launched a major retaliatory military operation targeting multiple countries across West Asia following fresh U.S. strikes on Iranian territory. According to Iran's Fars News Agency, explosions have been reported over Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan as Iran fired missiles and drones toward the region. The UAE's Ministry of Defense says its air defense systems are actively engaging incoming Iranian missiles and drones. Officials said the explosions heard across parts of the country were caused by air defense interceptors destroying the incoming threats. In Qatar, the Ministry of Interior has raised the country's security threat level to high, urging residents to remain indoors or move to safe locations. Authorities have advised people to avoid unnecessary travel and strictly follow official safety instructions. Bahrain has activated nationwide air raid sirens. The Interior Ministry has urged citizens and residents to stay calm and immediately head to the nearest safe shelter. Meanwhile, Axios reported that Jordan is also under attack. The latest escalation comes just hours after the United States carried out fresh strikes on Iranian cities, saying the operation was in response to an Iranian attack on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had earlier announced the closure of the strategic waterway, sharply raising tensions across the Gulf. The Iranians had already warned of retaliation against U.S. targets located in the Gulf countries. Iran has vowed retaliation after the latest U.S. strikes on several coastal areas along the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman of the Islamic Republic following the IRGC's strike on a commercial ship. Ali Safari, an advisor to Iran's foreign ministry, accused Washington of breaking the June 16 Memorandum of Understanding on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera. Safari insisted that Tehran retains a central role in determining future security arrangements in the critical waterway crucial for the world economy. Safari slammed the U.S.-backed Southern Shipping Corridor near Oman as dangerous and provocative, claiming it has heightened the risk of collisions and instability. He issued a stark warning to Washington, saying, honor the agreement or abandon it altogether. Iran is far stronger than you imagine and is prepared for war, Safari said. His message was unmistakable. Safari insisted that Iran will work out future arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz in consultation with Oman and other states. He further said the southern shipping route, created under U.S. pressure, prevents implementation of the agreement. He said sending ships through that route with navigation systems switched off is irresponsible. Additionally, the IRGC reportedly said it will target countries hosting American bases in West Asia. Meanwhile, maritime experts said the crisis is now leaving commercial shipping with a grim choice. Ian Rolby of the Center for Maritime Strategy told Al Jazeera that vessels are increasingly being forced to choose between routes approved by Iran and alternative corridors that may themselves become targets. According to Rolby, the latest attack appears to have struck a vessel following a U.S.-guided route along Oman's coast, suggesting that Tehran may be deliberately challenging Washington's influence over navigation in the Gulf. For ship owners and crews, the stakes could not be higher. As tensions soar and safe passages narrow, the Strait of Hormuz, lifeline of the global energy trade, stands perilously close to becoming a full-bledged battleground. Tensions exploded after the IRGC attacked MV GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said the vessel was sailing along an unauthorized route. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a third round of strikes inside Iran. West Asia tensions explode after the United States launched fresh strikes inside Iran in the early hours of Sunday following an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said the operation was in response to an attack by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital maritime choke points, through which roughly a quarter of global oil trade, along with significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers, passes. U.S. Central Command said the operation marked the third round of U.S. strikes against Iranian targets. Iranian media reported explosions across several coastal areas along the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman. Blasts were reported in Bushehr, Asalooyeh, Chabahar, Kesh Island, Bandar Abbas, and Sirik, signaling that the latest escalation has reached deep into Iran's strategic southern coastline. According to reports, the Iranian military has activated air defenses in Bandar-e-Marsha, in the province of Khuzestan, on Iran's southwestern coast. In a post on X, U.S. Central Command accused Iran of blatantly attacking the MVGFS Galaxy. The command said one crew member remains missing and that the vessel is unable to continue its voyage due to an onboard fire and extensive engine room damage. U.S. Central Command added that Iran had been given yet another opportunity to comply with the Memorandum of Understanding after previous attacks on commercial shipping, but again has failed. The United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait. The statement concluded that the strikes were carried out on the orders of Commander-in-Chief President Donald Trump. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hedgeseth reinforced Washington's message on a post on X, declaring Iran made a poor choice, now they pay. The crisis deepened after the IRGC's July 11th attack on the commercial vessel. In its own statement on X, the IRGC claimed it had fired warning shots at what it called a violating ship, alleging that the vessel was sailing along an unauthorized route. A vessel that had jeopardized maritime security by switching off its systems was struck and brought to a halt, the IRGC Navy said, without identifying the ship. Tehran warned that any retaliation would be met with a severe response and reiterated restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears that the waterway could once again become the flashpoint of a wider regional conflict. Those developments came after the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman met to discuss the future of the strait that separates their countries. Oman said both sides agreed to continue talks at the technical and political levels, one day after Washington urged Iran to publicly guarantee the safety of shipping through the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said the two sides discussed appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the safe passage of ships. At the same time, Araqchi accused Washington of violating the interim agreement by ending waivers that had allowed Iran to sell crude oil in US dollars, a move the United States says was a direct response to the latest attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, announced early Sunday local time that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz after firing warning shots at a vessel it said was attempting to transit the strategic waterway via an unauthorized route. In a statement published by the Arabic language website of the semi-official IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency, the IRGC condemned what it described as outside interference from foreign powers, alleging that several vessels had attempted to cross the strait using unauthorized routes. The statement specifically referred to a recent incident in which the IRGC fired warning shots at one such vessel. Given the precariousness that was caused by this unlawful interference from outside parties, the Strait of Hormuz is to be closed until further notice and until regional interference by the US ceases, the statement said. No vessel or naval craft will be allowed to pass. Meanwhile, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported an incident involving a container ship east of Oman that caught fire and sustained damage. It remains unclear whether this is the same vessel referenced by the IRGC. The US Central Command said strikes followed what it described as Iran's attack on the MVGFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran blatantly attacked MVGFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Central Command said in a post. A civilian crew member is missing and the vessel is unable to continue the journey due to an on-board fire and significant engine room damage, it added. US President Donald Trump said earlier on Friday that Washington and Tehran were expected to continue truce talks as the US carried out strikes despite the ceasefire.