The United States has launched a fresh wave of military strikes against Iran after Tehran attacked a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz and announced the closure of the strategic waterway.
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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the strait had been closed until further notice and warned that any further US "aggression" would be met with a severe response.
US Central Command (Centcom) said it carried out its third round of strikes this week after the IRGC attacked the Cyprus-flagged MV GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Centcom, the vessel suffered significant engine room damage and was unable to continue its voyage. One civilian crew member was reported missing.
Fresh US strikes follow attack on commercial vessel
The UK's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said military authorities had informed it that the crew abandoned the ship and were in a lifeboat.
Centcom said the latest operation targeted 140 Iranian military sites, including missile and drone facilities, communications infrastructure and coastal surveillance positions.
In a statement posted on X, Centcom said Iran had been given another opportunity to comply with earlier understandings following previous attacks on commercial shipping but had failed to do so. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared the statement, adding: "Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay."
Iran retaliates across the region
Iran acknowledged that US strikes had hit several coastal bases and telecommunications towers along its southern coastline.
In response, the IRGC said it launched the first phase of retaliatory attacks, claiming to have struck the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan and destroyed its command centre and MQ-9 drone hangars.
Iran also said it launched missiles and drones toward US allies in the Gulf, with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain responding to the attacks.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian state media reported that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed after Iranian forces fired a naval cruise missile at a vessel travelling on what Tehran described as an unapproved route.
The IRGC said the ship ignored repeated warnings before being hit by warning fire and stopped. It also warned that any military response to the closure would result in further attacks on US bases across the region.
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X that the "era of one-sided deals is OVER", adding: "We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking."
Tensions grow despite diplomatic efforts
The latest escalation follows attacks earlier this week on three commercial tankers travelling along a US-recommended route through Omani waters. Iran has maintained that the only safe passage is through routes under its control.
Those incidents prompted earlier US strikes that Iranian officials said killed 17 people and injured 115 others. Iran subsequently launched attacks on US allies in the Gulf.
US President Donald Trump said Iran's actions meant the ceasefire was over, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Washington of violating the agreement.
Despite the fighting, Trump said diplomatic talks would continue as mediators worked to revive negotiations. US media reported that Iranian officials privately told American counterparts the tanker attacks had been a mistake caused by a rogue internal group.
US officials have said they want Iran to publicly declare that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international shipping and commit to ending attacks on commercial vessels.
New supreme leader vows revenge
The confrontation comes days after Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first public statement since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an air strike on 28 February during the opening day of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Speaking in a statement broadcast on state television following his father's funeral, Mojtaba Khamenei said revenge was the "will of the nation" and pledged to avenge those killed in the conflict.
During funeral ceremonies, many mourners carried placards calling for the killing of President Trump, who warned on Saturday that any attempt on his life would result in the US "decimat[ing] and destroy[ing] all areas" of Iran.
The Wall Street Journal and other US media reported that Israel had shared intelligence with Washington alleging Iran had recently developed a plan to assassinate Trump. However, the US president denied there had been any new plot or that Israel had provided the intelligence, saying he had been Iran's "No. 1 [on Iran's kill list] for a long time."
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12 July 2026
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