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Iran live updates: Gulf countries under attack after US completes 3rd round of retaliatory strikes

The U.S. strikes came after a cargo ship was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.

Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 2:27 PM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations last month aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.

The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange relatively limited strikes despite the signing of the memorandum and amid the continuation of peace talks.

Jul 11, 2026, 7:54 PM EDT

US launches new strikes on Iran

The U.S. military launched another set of strikes in Iran Saturday night, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

The U.S. strikes came after Iranian forces "blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.

"A civilian crew member is missing and the vessel is unable to continue the journey due to an onboard fire and significant engineroom damage," CENTCOM said.

"Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed," it added.

Iran says the ship was moving through the strait in an "unapproved route" and was hit by a "warning shot."

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston

Jul 11, 2026, 7:09 PM EDT

IRGC says Strait of Hormuz closed, ship struck by missile

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' navy has announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and claimed a commercial vessel transiting the waterway was hit and "halted" by a "warning shot" it fired, according to Iranian media.

The statement also said that any U.S. or allied response would be met by "severe" retaliation.

PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam
FILE PHOTO: Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, July 9, 2026.
Stringer/Reuters

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that was read on state run TV Saturday several ships reportedly used unapproved routes and ignored warnings from the IRGC navy.

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston

Jul 11, 2026, 4:15 PM EDT

Oman talks wind down with no breakthrough

As talks in Oman wind down, the key delegations are departing without any signs of an immediate breakthrough -- but there’s still a chance that could change in the coming hours, according to a U.S. official and another source familiar.

Public statements from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart indicate only that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz was discussed during the meeting -- obviously falling well short of the Trump administration’s demand for a public statement from Iran declaring the Strait of Hormuz is fully open and vessels transiting through it are safe from attacks.

However, the sources said Araghchi is returning to Iran with an Omani proposal for managing the Strait of Hormuz that would see the southern lane of the waterway operate unimpeded, but require ships traveling in the northern lane, which runs through Iran’s territorial waters, to receive approval from -- but not pay a toll to -- Tehran.

A ship sails off the coast of Ajman, U.A.E., on July 10, 2026.
AFP via Getty Images

Other proposals for dividing the waterway were also considered, the sources added.

At this point, it’s unclear if the Omani plan has the full support of the Trump administration or if it can win approval from Iranian leadership. But it was always expected that the Iranian delegation in Oman would need to return to their country to consult top levels of leadership before moving forward or even issuing a more substantial statement, leaving the door open for now.

-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Jul 11, 2026, 4:11 PM EDT

Huckabee confirms 'very specific plot' to kill Trump

Israeli intelligence "tipped off" the U.S. to "a very specific plot" to assassinate President Donald Trump, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Fox News Saturday.

"This week Israeli intelligence tipped off our side to -- the president and our officials -- that there was a very specific plot that was designed to take out President Trump," Huckabee told a Fox News anchor, who asked him how the U.S. could negotiate with a country that wants to kill the president.

Huckabee said that while the issue was "pretty serious," it was important to note Iran has long threatened the U.S.

His answer on Fox News contradicted Trump, who told the New York Post that "Israel came up with nothing" when asked about the plot, first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Huckabee said he couldn't say whether the president took a different plane specifically because of the plot when departing Ankara.

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