Iran Fires Missiles at 4 Gulf States After US Hits 140 Targets
Updated
Updated · Euronews · Jul 12
Iran Fires Missiles at 4 Gulf States After US Hits 140 Targets
3 articles · Updated · Euronews · Jul 12
Summary
Two waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks hit the Gulf early Sunday, with Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait activating air defenses and ordering residents to shelter.
Qatar said it intercepted ballistic missiles aimed at Al-Udeid, the region’s largest US airbase, after the IRGC claimed it destroyed a command center and aircraft maintenance facility there.
The barrage followed new US strikes on about 140 targets in southern Iran, launched after Tehran attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, setting it ablaze and leaving one sailor missing.
Iran also claimed strikes on Jordan’s Prince Hassan airbase and Oman’s Duqm port, widening a confrontation Tehran had warned would spread to US-linked sites across the Gulf.
As Gulf nations question US reliability, are new security alliances forming in the Middle East without Washington?
After another failed ceasefire, what viable path to de-escalation between the US and Iran actually remains?
With oil and fertilizer flows choked, is the world on the brink of a simultaneous energy and food crisis?
The 2026 US-Iran Crisis: Strait of Hormuz Blockade, Global Energy Shock, and the New Middle East Instability
Overview
In July 2026, a series of attacks on commercial tankers—including vessels from Liberia, Saudi Arabia, the Marshall Islands, and Qatar—sparked a rapid escalation between the United States and Iran. The U.S. accused Iran of these attacks and responded with retaliatory strikes on Iranian targets, including near the Bushehr nuclear plant, while also re-imposing sanctions on Iranian oil sales. The United Kingdom raised the threat level in the Strait of Hormuz to 'severe,' highlighting the growing risk to global shipping and energy supplies. These events triggered a cycle of military and economic actions, deepening regional instability and global economic disruption.