U.S. Strikes Iran After Ship Attack Escalates Hormuz Crisis
WASHINGTON- The United States launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran on Saturday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said, marking another escalation in the confrontation over one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes.
U.S. Central Command said the strikes were carried out on the orders of President Donald Trump after the M/V GFS Galaxy came under attack while passing through the strategic waterway.
According to CENTCOM, the vessel sustained significant engine-room damage and an onboard fire, leaving it unable to continue its voyage. The military said one civilian crew member was missing following the attack.
Iran had earlier confirmed it had struck a vessel using what it described as an “unauthorized route” through the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said several ships ignored warnings and instructions to alter their course, adding that one vessel was hit by what it called a “warning shot” and forced to stop.
Tehran also announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until further notice and warned it could target additional “enemy bases” in the region if further attacks were launched against Iran.
In a statement posted on X, U.S. Central Command said Iran had been given another opportunity to comply with a previously agreed Memorandum of Understanding after earlier attacks on commercial shipping but had failed to do so.
“In response, the United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait,” CENTCOM said.
Following the U.S. announcement, Iranian media reported multiple explosions in coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz. State television reported three explosions in Bandar Abbas and two in Sirik, while Mehr News Agency said blasts were heard on Qeshm Island. Other Iranian media also reported explosions in Bushehr province, Deir, Asalwiya and the city of Jask.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran would face consequences for its actions. In a social media post following the strikes, he wrote that Iran had “made a poor choice” and would now “pay.”
The latest military exchange came after diplomatic contacts between Iran and Oman on Saturday focused on the future of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following days of attacks on commercial shipping and U.S. retaliatory strikes that have strained an interim agreement aimed at ending the conflict.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first public statement since the funeral of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed that Iran would avenge his father’s killing in the opening phase of the war on Feb. 28. State television quoted him as saying such retaliation reflected the will of the Iranian people.
Oman said it had agreed with Iran to continue discussions on the Strait of Hormuz at both technical and political levels.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had met his Omani counterpart to discuss mechanisms to ensure the safe passage of ships through the waterway. He also accused Washington of violating the interim agreement by ending waivers that had allowed Iran to sell crude oil in U.S. dollars, saying compliance with any agreement must be mutual.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and natural gas trade normally passes, has become the focal point of the confrontation. The United States maintains that the waterway is an international shipping lane, while Iran has asserted greater control over navigation through the strait since the conflict began.
