U.S. hit 140 targets in Iran after Strait of Hormuz ship attack
Why it matters: Iran also fired toward Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE as fighting threatened a route that once carried about a fifth of traded oil and gas.
The United States struck about 140 targets in Iran early Sunday after an Iranian attack hit a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, setting it ablaze and forcing its crew to abandon it. U.S. Central Command said the strikes targeted missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps and communications equipment to reduce Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping. A civilian crew member from the vessel was reported missing. Iran then launched attacks toward Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with Qatar’s military saying it intercepted incoming fire. The clash deepened a dispute over shipping routes through Hormuz, where Iran has challenged a U.S.-backed corridor along Oman’s coast.