U.S. Launches Third Strike On Iran

The United States has launched a third round of airstrikes against Iran this week after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked a commercial ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz and declared the waterway closed.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes began at about 7:15pm US Eastern time on Saturday, targeting Iranian air and surface-surveillance radars, missile and drone storage facilities, launch sites, and surface-to-air missile launchers.

The strikes followed an IRGC attack on the M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship, which Centcom said caused a fire and significant damage to the vessel’s engine room. One crew member is missing.

The IRGC said it had warned ships against using what it called an unauthorised route through the strait, and fired a warning shot after the vessel failed to change course.

“Following this incident… the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of the American interventions in this area, and no vessels will be allowed to pass through it,” the Guard said in a statement carried by Iranian state broadcaster PressTV.

Centcom said the US had given Iran repeated opportunities to honour a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by both countries on June 17 to reopen the strait, and accused Tehran of again failing to do so.

Over three nights of strikes this week, Centcom said it has hit more than 300 targets, including Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, communication networks, and coastal surveillance locations.

The exchange came hours after regional diplomats concluded talks in Muscat aimed at resolving the dispute over the strait.

Oman had proposed fully reopening both shipping lanes through Hormuz, including the southern route through Omani waters that the damaged container ship had been using.

Iran’s delegation did not approve the proposal in Muscat and returned it to Tehran for further internal discussion.

Under the June MOU, Iran had agreed to use its best efforts to ensure safe passage for vessels through Hormuz and not to charge tolls for 60 days.

The two sides have since disputed the terms under which the strait was meant to reopen, with Tehran demanding ships use a northern route through its territorial waters instead of the Oman-protected southern route.

Several other countries in the region reported threats or attacks following the latest strikes.

The IRGC said it launched retaliatory strikes on Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan.

The United Arab Emirates said its air defence systems were responding to a missile threat.

Bahrain sounded sirens and told residents to seek shelter.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said it intercepted a missile attack targeting the country.

US President Donald Trump had earlier this week declared the ceasefire with Iran “over” and threatened a further large-scale attack.