DUBAI, July 12: The conflict between the United States and Iran escalated sharply on Sunday after the U.S. launched large-scale airstrikes on Iranian military targets in response to an Iranian attack on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The ship caught fire, forcing its crew to abandon it, while one Indian crew member remained missing after rescue operations.
According to the U.S. Central Command, around 140 targets were struck, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition depots and communications facilities, with Washington saying the operation aimed to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten international shipping.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran would “pay” for attacking civilian vessels.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks on US military installations in Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
The IRGC claimed it damaged the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and logistical facilities supporting US.aircraft carriers in Oman’s Duqm port.
It also claimed to have struck Patriot air defence systems and radar installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, while warning of harsher retaliation if U.S. attacks continue.
Missile alerts were activated across Gulf countries. Qatar said it intercepted incoming missiles, though falling debris injured three people.
Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman also reported interceptions or attacks, while Jordan confirmed minor damage from Iranian missiles. Oman later summoned the Iranian ambassador in protest.
Iran also announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until further notice, blaming foreign military intervention for regional insecurity.
The strategic waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas normally passes, remains at the centre of the conflict.
The latest violence has further weakened efforts to preserve the 60-day ceasefire agreed on June 17.
Diplomatic talks involving Oman and other regional mediators continue, but repeated military exchanges have pushed negotiations toward collapse, raising fears of a wider regional war and renewed disruption to global energy supplies.
Trump says Vance would authorise Iran strike if he’s assassinated
President Donald Trump said he has left standing orders for the U.S. military to launch overwhelming strikes against Iran if Tehran assassinates him. However, experts note that the US has no legal or technical mechanism for an automatic military response, often referred to as a “dead man’s switch.”
If a president dies, authority immediately transfers to the vice president under the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act. In such a scenario, Vice President JD Vance would become commander in chief and decide whether to carry out Trump’s desired retaliation, modify it or reject it altogether.
National security expert Garrett Graff said the US maintains detailed continuity-of-government plans for catastrophic events, including nuclear attacks, but none permit automatic military action after a president’s death. Any use of force would require authorization from the new commander in chief.
Trump made the comments after claiming Iran had renewed threats to assassinate him, saying U.S. missiles were “locked and loaded” in preparation for retaliation.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei responded by vowing revenge for the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the war’s opening U.S. and Israeli strikes.
The White House did not comment on whether Trump’s reported military instructions would remain valid if he were killed. Experts said while Trump could privately urge Vance to retaliate, the final decision would rest solely with the new president.
The report also noted that Iranian threats against senior US officials have been taken seriously by multiple administrations. Both the Biden and Trump administrations warned Iran that any attack on American leaders, including Trump, would trigger severe consequences and could be treated as an act of war. (AP)
