DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: The Strait of Hormuz became the centre of a widening US-Iran confrontation Sunday after Washington struck Iranian targets and Tehran claimed attacks across Gulf states.
US Central Command said Iran did not control the strait. It said US forces stood ready to keep the international waterway open.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority gave a different account. It said transit through the waterway was not possible for now because of what it called illegal US military movements.
US President Donald Trump said the strait remained open. He said the United States had struck Iran “very hard” overnight.
CENTCOM said its latest strikes hit about 140 Iranian military targets. The targets included missile sites, naval facilities and coastal systems.
Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island. Qeshm Governor Hossein Amir Teymouri said 10 to 11 enemy projectiles hit military targets, with no casualties reported.
The Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim news agency said Iranian forces struck US-linked targets in Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Saudi Arabia condemned the Iranian attacks. It said they violated state sovereignty and threatened maritime security.
Read: Iran Gulf Attacks Follow Fresh US Strikes on Tehran
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern. It urged all sides to show restraint, de-escalate and uphold the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
Oman summoned Iran’s ambassador over drone attacks. Qatar said it held Iran legally responsible for attacks on its territory.
