This just in: U.S. forces have launched additional strikes against Iran.
This marks the fifth round of strikes since the collapse of the ceasefire deal last week.
CENTCOM announced:
At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 12, 2026
At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable.
The latest round of bombings came in response to Iran’s repeated aggression.
On Saturday, Iran attacked another ship on the Strait of Hormuz. Then, earlier today, they targeted their Gulf neighbors.
The New York Times provided more background information:
The United States was carrying out another round of strikes on Iranian targets early Monday morning local time, the U.S. military said, extending a pattern of attacks between the two sides as their fragile cease-fire continued to unravel. It was the second volley of U.S. attacks in a matter of hours that were intended to stymie Iran’s ability to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait, which has long been vital to the global energy trade, is at the center of a tug of war between the two countries that has been playing out since they agreed to a tentative truce last month. Both nations have traded fire and recriminations, accusing the other of violating the terms of the cease-fire and leaving the region suspended between war and peace.
Shortly after the latest strikes were announced, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Central Command spokesman, said Iranian forces had fired on commercial shipping in the strait around the time the latest wave of U.S. attacks began, demonstrating the need for the U.S. offensive. “We’re holding Iran accountable,” Captain Hawkins said in a text message. The U.S. shot down a missile and a one-way attack drone that had been aimed at commercial shipping in the strait, he added.
An Iranian attack on a Cypriot-flagged container ship on Saturday — which Iran said it had explicitly carried out after weeks of staying silent as Washington blamed Tehran for firing on civilian craft — set off the latest hostilities. Iran at the time also said it was closing the strait, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passed before the war.
That attack prompted a heavy barrage by the United States and an Iranian military response overnight that was aimed at U.S.-allied Persian Gulf Arab states. U.S. Central Command said earlier Sunday that there had been no reports of service member deaths or injuries.
President Trump insisted in an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the strait was open to shipping traffic, adding that the U.S. had “bombed the hell” out of Iran the night before.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Trump administration has said the truce struck last month would fully lift Tehran’s blockade of the strait. But Iran has insisted that all ships transiting the waterway travel through its territorial waters, as it seeks to use it as leverage in peace talks. Washington has demanded that Tehran abandon that claim and allow the free movement of commercial vessels.
The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, said on Sunday he was deeply concerned about the renewed confrontations and called for an end to the fighting. He warned that “a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences” for the region and for the global economy.
Here’s what else to know:
Trading fire: The U.S. strikes on Sunday came as part of a familiar pattern. The flurry of hostilities began on Saturday with the Iranian attack on the commercial ship. Not long after, the United States announced that it had hit about 140 Iranian military targets. Iran then launched attacks targeting American military assets in Jordan, Oman and Qatar. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait also reported incoming fire over the weekend.
Negotiations: Mr. Trump suggested on Sunday that the two sides had been close to a deal over the weekend, before the attack on the ship, but offered no details. Iran has not said that it had agreed to any new deal, and Mr. Trump has often made unsubstantiated claims about the war. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr. Trump’s remarks.
Strike on ship: Omani authorities said on Sunday morning that one crew member was missing after the Cypress-flagged container vessel, the GFS Galaxy, came under Iranian attack. At least 23 mariners were rescued after the vessel issued a distress call near its coast, they said.
Fox News provided further coverage on the latest strikes in this clip:
BREAKING: U.S. Central Command says it has launched another wave of strikes against Iran.
CENTCOM said the operation began at 5 p.m. ET and is intended to further degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
"The… pic.twitter.com/8gEOki5FA9
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 12, 2026
BREAKING: U.S. Central Command says it has launched another wave of strikes against Iran.
CENTCOM said the operation began at 5 p.m. ET and is intended to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable,” CENTCOM said.
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!