US Launches Third Round of Strikes on Iran After Attack on Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz

The US military initiated a third round of strikes against Iran early Sunday following an attack by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on the Cyprus-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The attack caused a fire on deck and extensive damage to the engine room, leaving the ship disabled and with one civilian crew member missing. The crew abandoned the vessel after the fire broke out, according to the British Maritime Trade Center.

US Central Command stated the strikes targeted Iranian radar, missile storage, drone launch sites, and surface-to-air missile launchers. Iran reported attacks near Bandar Abbas and Sirik along its coast but did not disclose casualties or damage details. The Revolutionary Guards claimed several vessels ignored orders to change course and said the container ship was hit by a warning shot and stopped. However, the ship was reportedly sailing near Omani waters on a southern route used to avoid Iranian territorial waters.

Following the attack, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice and the cessation of US interference in the region," barring all ship passage. Iran warned that further US responses would lead to attacks on American bases throughout the Middle East. Iran also launched missiles and drones toward Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain, with those countries reporting interceptions and alerts but no casualties.

This escalation occurred hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart in Muscat to discuss reopening navigation in the strait. Oman proposed reopening two shipping lanes, but Iran deferred the decision to Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for about one-fifth of the world's traded oil and liquefied natural gas before the war, remains a flashpoint in US-Iran tensions. The US demands Iran publicly commit to halting attacks on commercial vessels and allow free navigation without Iranian fees or approvals.