Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbors, in retaliation for new US strikes following an attack by Iranian forces on a merchant vessel that was abandoned in flames by its crew.Sirens and explosions were heard in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, AFP journalists and local authorities reported, the latest escalation to undermine an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the Middle East war.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Pentagon said it had struck Iran early Sunday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired on a Cyprus-registered container ship they said was sailing an “unauthorized route” through the Strait of Hormuz.The IRGC then said they had hit a second vessel, according to state media, accusing it of “violating regulations.”Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask and on Qeshm Island as well as in Khuzestan province, which borders Iraq, with no immediate reports of casualties.Hours later, air raid sirens sounded over Bahrain, while Qatar said it intercepted missile attacks, with Doha saying three people were injured.UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said later on Sunday that missile threats detected this morning were outside UAE borders noting that the situation remains stable.Kuwait also said it was working to intercept an attack, while Jordan said three Iranian missiles fell on its territory.Sites in Oman’s Musandam were targeted with drones, the state news agency reported adding that Oman condemns and denounces this attack.