Iran's July 11–12 Attacks on Six Gulf States: What Happened and Why

On Saturday, July 11, 2026 — hours after the U.S. military struck roughly 140 Iranian targets — Iran retaliated with a coordinated wave of missile and drone attacks targeting six Gulf states. Here is the full fact-checked account based on available sources.

Which Countries Were Targeted

Iran launched missile and drone attacks on six countries: Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait . This was not the first time Gulf states had been caught in the crossfire, but the scale and coordination of the July 11–12 wave marked a sharp escalation.

How Each Nation's Defense Systems Responded

Reports indicate that the air defense systems of the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman all activated and responded to incoming projectiles . Specific details include:

• UAE: In a prior wave on April 9, the UAE defense ministry reported intercepting 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones . While precise per-country interception numbers for the July 11–12 Saturday attack are not yet fully broken out in available reports, the UAE confirmed its air defenses engaged incoming missiles and drones, with authorities later stating the threats remained outside the country's airspace .
• Jordan: Three Iranian missiles fell on Jordanian territory without causing casualties .
• Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain: Iran's military had already confirmed striking sites in these three states with one-way attack drones in a separate wave on Thursday, July 9, targeting a Patriot missile interceptor system in Kuwait, an early warning system in Qatar, and fuel tanks in Bahrain . The Saturday attack extended this campaign to all six countries.

Casualties and Damage Reported

• One crew member missing from a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz that was set ablaze by an earlier Iranian strike — the immediate trigger for the U.S. response .
• Broader civilian and energy facilities in the Gulf were hit during earlier phases of the conflict, with Gulf states describing being caught in the middle with "all red lines crossed" . However, specific casualty figures or damage assessments for the Saturday (July 11–12) wave of attacks on the six Gulf states are not detailed in the current source set.

Diplomatic Condemnations by Gulf States

The current search results do not contain explicit quotes or joint statements from Gulf nations condemning this specific Saturday attack. However, given that the targeted states activated their air defenses — which inherently indicates they treated the projectiles as hostile — and given earlier reporting that Gulf states described being caught in the middle of the U.S.-Iran war with "all red lines crossed" , it can be inferred that these nations viewed the strikes as unacceptable escalations. For precise diplomatic language from the July 11–12 wave, additional search would be needed.

Broader Context: How This Escalation Unfolded

1. The U.S. Airstrikes on ~140 Iranian Targets (July 11)

The direct trigger for Iran's Saturday retaliation was a massive U.S. military operation. On July 11, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had completed its third wave of strikes that week against Iran, hitting approximately 140 Iranian military targets . These included missile sites, drone launch positions, naval capabilities, radar, surveillance installations, ammunition storage facilities, and communication networks . The U.S. said the strikes were launched in retaliation for an Iranian attack on a commercial container ship in the Strait of Hormuz that set the vessel ablaze and left one crew member missing .

2. The Strait of Hormuz Closure

The Strait of Hormuz has been a central flashpoint since the war began in February 2026:

• February 28, 2026: The IRGC began transmitting VHF warnings that "no vessel is permitted to traverse the Strait of Hormuz" .
• March 2, 2026: A senior IRGC official declared the strait closed, warning Iran would attack any ship trying to pass .
• March 4, 2026: Traffic through the strait had already nearly halted, disrupting roughly 20% of global crude oil and natural gas flows .
• June 10–11, 2026: Iran formally announced a full closure, extending to all oil tankers and commercial vessels .
• June 20, 2026: Iran reasserted the closure again, while the U.S. disputed it and said the waterway remained accessible .

The strait closure has remained a core lever of Iranian coercive strategy throughout 2026 .

3. The Islamabad Memorandum (Qatar-Pakistan Brokered Ceasefire)

The diplomatic framework meant to end the war was the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), primarily brokered by Pakistan with Qatar as a co-mediator . Key points:

• Signed: June 17, 2026, aiming to end the U.S.-Israel war on Iran .
• Follow-up talks (June 22, 2026): The first high-level committee meeting under the MoU occurred in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, co-hosted by Qatar and Pakistan, with delegates from both the U.S. and Iran .
• Outcomes: Iran agreed to allow UN nuclear inspectors to return; the U.S. agreed to ease sanctions on Iranian oil exports and reopen the Strait of Hormuz .
• July 1, 2026: Iran agreed to open a "communication channel" with Washington to report breaches of the MoU .

Despite this diplomatic framework, the ceasefire proved fragile. The July 11 U.S. strikes and Iran's retaliation against the six Gulf states represent a major breakdown of the Islamabad process, triggered by the Iranian attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz .

Summary of the Chain of Escalation

Event	Date	Description
War begins	Feb 28, 2026	U.S.-Israeli air war; Iran closes Strait of Hormuz
Islamabad MoU signed	June 17, 2026	Pakistan-Qatar brokered ceasefire framework
Switzerland talks	June 22, 2026	High-level implementation talks under MoU
Iranian ship attack	~July 10–11, 2026	Iran strikes container ship in Strait of Hormuz; 1 crew missing
U.S. strikes ~140 targets	July 11, 2026	Third wave of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian military sites
Iran retaliates on 6 Gulf states	July 11–12, 2026	Missile/drone attacks on Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Kuwait

This article was fact-checked using available sources. Where details were not reported, that has been noted clearly.