Gulf states condemn Iran attacks as conflict with US escalates

Iran has condemned the latest wave of US attacks on its territory, saying they had "rendered futile" all the diplomatic efforts of the last few months.

Their statement came soon after the US military announced a fresh wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday, saying it aimed to "continue degrading" Tehran's ability to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

"These barbaric attacks are not only a gross violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter...but also a serious threat to international peace and security," said an Iranian foreign ministry statement.

They had "rendered futile all efforts of the past few months to reduce tension and establish peace in the West Asian region", the statement added.

"The US regime has also caused the return of insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz and disruption of international commercial shipping by openly interfering in the process of Iran implementing the necessary arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz," said Tehran.

The latest US salvo began at 2100 GMT on Sunday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, adding that President Donald Trump "has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable."

Israel is set to hold a national election on October 27, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, its first since the Gaza war and the wars on Lebanon and Iran.

The precise ballot date had been unclear since the Israeli parliament voted in May to disband, raising the possibility the election could be held early.

However, coalition head Ofir Katz told a parliamentary committee on Sunday that the original October 27 date set by law would be kept.

Successive surveys have suggested Netanyahu's coalition of far-right nationalist and religious parties would lose the ballot, though his political rivals still have no clear path to power and the political landscape may still shift.

Less than a year after a 2022 political comeback ​at the head of Israel's most extreme-right government to date, Netanyahu's security credentials were left in tatters by Hamas' surprise attack on October 7, 2023. Polls show many are also unhappy with Netanyahu over the outcome of the Iran war.

It is rare for governments in Israel to complete a full four-year term. Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving leader and has proven himself one of the most cunning political actors in the history of the country.

Iran announced it was again closing the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and hit Gulf neighbours in retaliation for US strikes

Here are the latest developments:

*UN chief calls for stop to fighting

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the United States and Iran Sunday to halt their new outbreak of fighting.

*Kuwait strikes

Kuwait's defence ministry said that three border posts and an offshore oil platform were attacked, without specifying the origin of the assault.

*Deadly strikes on Iran

Iranian state media reported Sunday that an employee of a telecommunications company had been killed and two wounded in attacks in the southern province of Hormozgan on the Gulf.

Earlier, the Mehr and Tasnim news agencies said overnight strikes had killed an Iranian navy lieutenant in the port of Jask in southern Iran.

*Iran island hit

More than 10 projectiles struck Iran's Gulf island of Qeshm, state media reported, adding that the targets were military and there had been no casualties.

*US hit Iran 'very hard': Trump

"We hit them very hard last night," US President Donald Trump told CNN by telephone after US strikes in response to Iran's latest attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

He said the United States and Iran had been close to "a deal" on Saturday. "They were giving up everything, and then all of a sudden two hours after that they hit a ship with a drone. These people, there is something wrong with them," he said.

*Hormuz traffic 'flowing': US

The US military insisted Sunday that "traffic is flowing" through the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iran's claim to have closed the crucial passage.

"US forces are positioned and prepared to keep it that way," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.

*Oman summons Iranian ambassador

Oman issued a formal protest to the Iranian ambassador following an attack on the country, state media reported -- a rare instance of the sultanate publicly accusing Tehran of targeting its territory.

Oman condemned the "irresponsible acts", a day after hosting the Iranian foreign minister for talks on the Strait of Hormuz.

*Qatar condemns 'dangerous escalation'

Qatar condemned the Iranian attacks against it and its neighbours, calling the barrage a "dangerous escalation" after three people were wounded there.

*Hormuz 'more important' than atomic bombs

An adviser to Iran's supreme leader said the Strait of Hormuz was more important than "dozens of atomic bombs".

"This strategic passage is more important than dozens of atomic bombs, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will protect it," Mohsen Rezaee was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying. Western countries accuse Iran of seeking to create an atomic bomb, but Tehran has insisted its nuclear programme is for peaceful, civilian purposes.

*Indian national missing

Oman said it had rescued 23 crew members from a commercial vessel after a strike early Sunday hit the vessel off its coast, forcing the crew to abandon ship.

India earlier said one of its nationals remained missing after the strike on the Cypriot-flagged GFS Galaxy, which the United States blamed on Iran.

*Iran 'warning shots'

Iran's Revolutionary Guards had said earlier they struck and stopped a ship in the Strait of Hormuz for ignoring repeated instructions to use an approved route, calling the fire "warning shots".

The US military's Central Command said the vessel had been disabled by fire and damage to its engine room.

*Jordan hit

Jordan's army said three Iranian missiles had fallen "in several locations across the kingdom, without causing any casualties".

*Pakistan urges 'restraint'

Pakistan's top diplomat called for "de-escalation" and for all sides to "show restraint" during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart on Sunday, the foreign ministry said.

One person was killed and two others injured in a US strike in Iran's southern Hormozgan Province earlier this afternoon, the semi-official Mehr news agency is reporting.

US news outlet Axios is reporting that the American forces carried out several strikes on Iranian military targets in the past hour.

A senior US official said the army targeted missile systems, air defences and naval forces.

Iranian state media is reporting that almost a dozen missiles were fired at Iran's Qeshm Island.

In a statement to IRNA, the governor of Qeshm said 10 or 11 missiles had targeted military sites on the island but did not result in casualties.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday afternoon it had targeted American warships and vessels close to the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency is reporting explosions near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island in the last few minutes.

The cause of the blasts remains unknown, it said.

Pakistan's foreign ministry has expressed "deep concern" at the latest round of strikes between Iran and the US which threaten to unravel the interim peace deal Islamabad helped to broker in June.

In a statement, the ministry said it "urges both sides to exercise restraint, take immediate steps towards de-escalation, and uphold respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding".

A Palestinian man was killed and several others were wounded on Sunday evening when an Israeli drone struck a tent west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

At least five Palestinians - including a child - were killed in two Israeli attacks earlier on Sunday.

Syria's transitional parliament began its first session on Sunday, state television reported, tasked with drafting the country's new constitution and laying the groundwork for democracy after decades of authoritarian rule.

Syria's new authorities dissolved the country's rubber-stamp legislature after toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, and adopted a temporary constitutional declaration to cover a five-year transition period.

In October last year, in a process criticised as undemocratic, local committees appointed by the electoral commission - which in turn was appointed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa - began selecting two-thirds of the 210 members of the new parliament. Sharaa appointed the remaining 70 members last week.

In his opening remarks, Sharaa called on lawmakers to be "models of responsibility and competence, and to contribute to establishing a culture of dialogue, the rule of law, and respect for institutions", adding that the country was writing "a new chapter in its history".

Claudio Cordone, deputy UN special envoy for Syria, called the parliament's first session "a key milestone in the country's political transition", adding that they "will follow its work closely and stand ready to support" it.

During its renewable 30-months mandate, the parliament is expected to undertake several tasks -- most notably forming a committee to draft the constitution, approving the budget, and proposing and amending laws.

The Israeli government announced on Sunday that the legislative election will be held on 27 October, according to state broadcaster Kan.

President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States hit Iran hard in response to its latest attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

"We hit them very hard last night," Trump told CNN by telephone in an interview centring mainly on the death of Senator Lindsey Graham.

Trump said the United States and Iran had been close to "a deal" on Saturday. "They were giving up everything, and then all of a sudden two hours after that they hit a ship with a drone. These people, there is something wrong with them," he said.