Iran responds to a second day of US strikes by firing at Gulf states and
Jordan
[June 11, 2026]
By JON GAMBRELL, MICHELLE L. PRICE and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S and Iran traded strikes for a
second day, pushing the Middle East closer to the resumption of a
full-scale war.
The American attack, which lasted into Thursday morning in Iran,
appeared more intense and wider than the day before, but Tehran released
little information on the extent of the damage. An Indian official said
a U.S. attack on an oil tanker allegedly trying to violate Washington’s
blockade on Iranian ports killed three Indian mariners, underscoring the
danger to seafarers.
It was the third time this week that back-and-forth strikes have rattled
the Middle East. The first involved attacks between Iran and Israel,
followed by the two rounds of fire between the U.S. and Iran, which hit
countries in the region that host American bases.
The new exchange of fire came as efforts to negotiate an end to the war
appeared stuck, with U.S. President Donald Trump warning that Tehran
would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Ministry
said in a statement Thursday that the U.S. attacks had “effectively
rendered the ceasefire ... meaningless,” without saying it was
abandoning it.
Central to the negotiations is Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of
Hormuz, which has disrupted global energy supplies, driven up fuel
prices and made food and other basics more expensive well beyond the
region.
Iran announced Thursday that the strait was closed — but it was unclear
what that meant since it has severely restricted traffic through the
waterway since early in the war and only a trickle of ships have gotten
through. The U.S. military's Central Command disputed the claim — and
Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. has undertaken a secret mission in
recent weeks to sneak ships through the passage.
The two sides also remain at odds over Iran's nuclear program, which
Tehran insists is peaceful but which the U.S. and Israel fear could be
used to build an atomic weapon due to its stockpile of highly enriched
uranium. The U.S. and Israel said a major reason they went to war on
Feb. 28 was to ensure that Iran would never be able to do that.
US strikes Iran and Iran fires back at Gulf states
Central Command said its latest round of airstrikes came “in response to
Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression” and targeted “Iranian
military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air
defense sites.” It did not elaborate on the damage done by the strikes,
which it said ended just before sunrise Thursday in Iran.
Explosions from the strikes echoed around Iran’s capital, as well as the
port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the Strait of
Hormuz. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard later said sites hit
included a manufacturing complex, a military barracks and a local Guard
base outside of Tehran.
Iran said it fired back at Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, as it had a day
before.
Kuwait closed its airspace for several hours because of the attack, but
did not elaborate on any damage. Jordan said it intercepted 20 Iranian
missiles fired toward an area that is home to a base hosting U.S.
troops, though no one was hurt.
Bahrain's Interior Ministry said an 11-year-old girl was hurt and cars
and homes were damaged by debris from interceptions responding to the
Iranian attack.
Meanwhile, Israel warned residents in the country’s north to seek
shelter after the detection of suspected incoming fire from Lebanon,
where Israel is fighting the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group.
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A home destroyed during the war between Israel and Hezbollah lies in
ruins in the village of Dibbine, southeast Lebanon, Wednesday, June
10, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Trump says the US is sneaking oil through the Strait of Hormuz
Iran's ability to control the Strait of Hormuz has proved a strong
bargaining chip since the narrow waterway's effective closure has
severely disrupted the global economy.
Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. military has undertaken a mission
since last month to sneak oil shipments past Iran’s forces in the
strait, aided by the destruction of Iranian radar equipment.
Trump said as a result more than 100 million barrels of oil have
evaded Iran’s chokehold. There was no immediate confirmation of that
figure, which equals roughly five days of oil shipments through the
waterway before the war began.
But the seas remain dangerous for mariners. Indian Ports, Shipping
and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced on X that three
Indians missing after the American attack on the tanker Settebello
had been killed. The U.S. military’s Central Command had accused the
Settebello of having “violated the ongoing blockade by attempting to
transport oil from Iran.” American forces fired into the ship’s
engine room to stop it Wednesday.
The leader of the International Maritime Organization, a United
Nations agency, condemned the attack.
Another tanker near where the Settebello was struck off Oman
experienced a fire in its engine room on Thursday, according to the
British military's United Kingdom Maritime Operations center. It
wasn't immediately clear what sparked the blaze.
Big disagreements stand in the way of a quick peace deal
Trump suggested earlier this week that an agreement with Iran could
be close — but the exchanges of fire have called that into question,
and big differences remain.
The U.S. wants to see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched
uranium, which is a short technical step from weapons-grade levels.
Iran is refusing to give up the uranium and demanding relief from
sanctions. It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a
final agreement is in place, something Trump rejected.
Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must also end
fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. But Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing his goal of
destroying the militant group.
A Qatari diplomatic delegation, negotiating in coordination with the
U.S., left Tehran on Thursday morning after holding talks, according
to an official with knowledge of the team who spoke on condition of
anonymity to discuss the mediation. Pakistan, meanwhile, expressed
deep concern over rising tensions and urged both Iran and the U.S.
to adhere to the ceasefire.
___
Price and Toropin reported from Washington. Associated Press writers
Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Victoria
Eastwood in Cairo contributed to this report.
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