US Bombards Iran Sites After Hormuz Ship Attack: ‘Now They Pay’

The U.S. launched strikes against roughly 140 targets across Iran early Sunday after Tehran attacked a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, setting the ship ablaze and forcing its crew to abandon it.

“Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X after the operation.

U.S. Central Command said the strikes targeted missile and drone launch sites, ammunition depots, communications equipment and other military infrastructure. The command said the operation was intended to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the strategic waterway.

Iran appeared to respond by launching missile and drone attacks toward Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar said its military intercepted incoming fire, while missile alerts sounded across several Gulf states hosting U.S. military facilities.

The latest escalation comes amid growing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route through which about a fifth of global oil and natural gas trade passed before the war that began on February 28.

In the initial attack, a Cyprus-flagged container ship suffered significant engine room damage and a civilian crew member was reported missing, according to U.S. officials. The ship’s crew abandoned the vessel after it caught fire.

Iran later warned the strait would remain closed “until further notice” and threatened additional attacks if it faced further military action from the United States and its regional allies.

This article contains reporting by The Associated Press