# Iran's IRGC formally closes the Strait of Hormuz after US strikes hit six Iranian cities; Iran fires on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar > Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all shipping on July 12, hours after fresh US airstrikes hit the Iranian port cities of Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Qeshm Island, Bushehr and Asaluyeh and after the US Saturday deadline expired without Iranian compliance; Iran simultaneously launched strikes on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar; ceasefire talks in Muscat the day before had ended without agreement **Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-12 · heads: 戦争はどう終わるのか, 誰の金か · 20 takes · 9 lenses · 8 regions ## Summary Iran's [IRGC](/ja/entity/irgc) declared the [Strait of Hormuz](/ja/entity/place/strait-of-hormuz) closed to all shipping on July 12, hours after fresh US airstrikes hit Iranian port cities including Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Qeshm Island, Bushehr and Asaluyeh. Iran simultaneously launched strikes on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar. The closure came after the US Saturday deadline expired without compliance; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had met Omani officials in Muscat the previous day without reaching a deal. Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had meanwhile vowed "inevitable revenge" for his father's killing. Traffic on the vital waterway had already slowed ahead of the formal announcement. ## Why it matters The [Strait of Hormuz](/ja/entity/place/strait-of-hormuz) is one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints. A formal IRGC closure declaration, rather than attacks on individual vessels, marks a significant escalation. Iran's simultaneous strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, Gulf states with close US security ties, bring the conflict into the territory of US partners and raise the risk of a broader regional confrontation. [Prior IRGC strikes](/ja/n/iran-irgc-gulf-strikes-jul9) had already tested those limits. ## What to watch - Whether the US and Gulf allies treat the formal closure as requiring a military response or attempt to reopen Oman diplomacy - Iran's follow-through: whether the IRGC physically blocks transiting vessels or the closure remains a legal and political declaration - Bahrain's response, given its hosting of the US Fifth Fleet - Oil market reaction as the closure's duration and enforcement become clearer ## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens) ### Israeli media; IRGC closure announcement citing Iranian state media; lists all six Iranian locations hit - **The Jerusalem Post** (Israel, en) — The Jerusalem Post, citing Iranian state media, reports the IRGC formally declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until US interference in the region ends. The paper notes explosions in at least six Iranian locations, including Chabahar, Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Bushehr and Asaluyeh, consistent with a fresh round of US strikes landing hours before the closure announcement. > "Iranian state media announced that explosions were heard near Chabahar, on Qeshm Island, and in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Bushehr, and Asaluyeh." Source: http://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-902180 ### pan-Arab regional live blog; leads with Iran's strikes on four neighbouring states as retaliation for US bombardment - **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — Al Jazeera's live blog, headlined 'Iran attacks Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar after US bombings', foregrounds the regional fallout of US airstrikes on Iranian cities. The framing places Iran in a reactive posture against US bombardment, rather than as the initiating party, and underlines that strikes reached four Arab states simultaneously. > "Iran targets Jordan and Gulf states after US bombs Iranian cities including Bandar Abbas, Sirik and Chabahar." Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/7/12/iran-war-live-irgc-declares-strait-of-hormuz-closed-over-us-interference ### UAE/Gulf-resident media; flags oil price impact and security implications for Dubai and the wider Emirates - **Gulf News** (UAE, en) — Gulf News leads with new US strikes and the Strait closure, writing directly to UAE residents about oil price impact and security implications. The outlet's audience is most directly exposed to the conflict and its commercial effects, giving this daily digest format unusual weight as a record of how the escalation is landing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. > "US strikes Iran and Strait of Hormuz closure: key updates, oil price impact and security implications UAE residents need to know today, July 12." Source: https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/us-launches-new-strikes-on-iran-what-uae-residents-need-to-know-today-july-12-1.500605021 ### Abu Dhabi English-language daily; reports Mojtaba Khamenei's public revenge vow timed to the Muscat diplomacy - **The National** (UAE, en) — The National reports Mojtaba Khamenei's first public statement after his father's killing, a vow of 'inevitable revenge', timed to coincide with Araghchi's talks in Muscat. From Abu Dhabi, the dual signal, a diplomatic opening and a new supreme leader committing to retaliation, captures the fragility of any deal. > "His message coincided with talks in Muscat on the Strait of Hormuz, days after renewed fighting with the US." Source: https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2026/07/11/araghchi-arrives-in-oman-for-talks-on-strait-of-hormuz-as-ceasefire-with-us-hangs-in-balance/ ### Ukrainian wartime media; frames the US ultimatum as a test of Trump's credibility as a wartime executive - **Kyiv Post** (Ukraine, en) — The Kyiv Post, writing from a country under its own siege, frames the US ultimatum as a credibility test for the Trump administration. It reports Washington demanded Tehran issue a public commitment by Saturday to halt attacks on commercial shipping, with unnamed officials suggesting the deadline was firm. > "The Trump administration is demanding that Iran issue a public statement by Saturday committing to halt attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz." Source: https://www.kyivpost.com/post/80064 ### Russian state media; cites Axios; presents the US demand factually without endorsing the ultimatum's legitimacy - **RT** (Russia, en) — RT, citing Axios, reports the US demand for Iran to 'declare the Strait of Hormuz fully open' and 'pledge not to attack vessels transiting the waterway'. The outlet presents the US position as a factual dispatch rather than a legitimate demand, consistent with Russian media's framing of the conflict as US aggression. > "The US has reportedly given Iran until Saturday to declare the Strait of Hormuz fully open to commercial shipping and pledge not to attack vessels transiting the waterway." Source: https://www.rt.com/news/642878-iran-hormuz-reopen-deadline/ ### Indian news magazine; foregrounds energy security and the economic dimension of Hormuz disruption for New Delhi - **The Week India** (India, en) — The Week India leads with Trump's 'fresh warning' and notes consequences would be 'both militarily and economically', a formulation that resonates for India, a major Hormuz oil importer. The outlet positions New Delhi as a stake-holder in the strait's status without taking a side on the US-Iran dispute. > "If Iran refuses to cooperate, the US has indicated that consequences will follow, both militarily and economically." Source: https://www.theweek.in/news/middle-east/2026/07/11/trump-issues-fresh-warning-as-us-demands-iran-secure-strait-of-hormuz.html ### US conservative media; flags Israel's readiness to re-engage and frames the Oman talks as a parallel track alongside sustained military pressure - **Fox News** (United States, en) — Fox News's live blog reports Israeli leadership signalling readiness to strike Iran again as US envoys head to Oman, framing the diplomatic effort as running parallel to continued military pressure. The outlet notes hopes for a broader peace deal were fading even before the Saturday deadline expired. > "Iranian and U.S. negotiators are expected to meet in Oman on Saturday as hopes for a broader peace deal fade." Source: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/iran-war-news-us-trump-oil-prices-strait-of-hormuz-07-11-2026 ### unlabelled - **CNN** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/11/world/live-news/iran-war-trump - **Ms. Now** (Global, en) — Source: https://www.ms.now/news/after-another-broken-ceasefire-with-u-s-iran-talks-with-gulf-leaders - **Gulf News (Jul 11)** (UAE, en) — Source: https://gulfnews.com/uae/us-iran-war-what-uae-residents-need-to-know-today-july-11-2026-1.500604253 - **Benzinga** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/26/07/60402828/us-gives-iran-saturday-deadline-to-renounce-hormuz-attacks-warns-it-is-not-gonna-be-a-great-day-if-tehran-refuses-report - **Local10 (AP)** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.local10.com/news/world/2026/07/10/us-demands-iran-publicly-state-that-strait-of-hormuz-is-open-and-tehran-wont-attack-ships-anymore/ - **RedState** (United States, en) — Source: https://redstate.com/joesquire/2026/07/11/trump-admin-gives-iran-a-saturday-deadline-admit-the-strait-is-open-or-face-the-consequences-n2204206 - **EndTimeHeadlines** (United States, en) — Source: https://endtimeheadlines.org/2026/07/us-reportedly-gives-iran-saturday-deadline-to-renounce-strait-of-hormuz-attacks/ - **Al Jazeera (Jul 11)** (Qatar, en) — Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/7/11/iran-war-live-us-demands-iran-publicly-state-strait-of-hormuz-open-for-all - **Times of Israel** (Israel, en) — Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-july-11-2026/ - **Bloomberg** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-11/iran-declares-strait-of-hormuz-closed-until-further-notice - **India TV News** (India, en) — Source: https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/in-first-remark-since-father-s-funeral-iran-s-mojtaba-khamenei-vows-inevitable-revenge-2026-07-11-1047924 - **RFERL Radio Farda** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-us-hormuz-oil-blockade-gulf-israel/33640284.html ## Across the graph - Related: [[iran-hormuz-us-demand-jul10]], [[iran-irgc-gulf-strikes-jul9]], [[iran-bahrain-kuwait-strikes-jun28]], [[hormuz-oil-supply-shock]], [[iran-dossier]], [[strait-of-hormuz-dossier]] - Entities: Iran, Place:strait of Hormuz, United States --- Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/ja/n/iran-irgc-hormuz-closure-jul12