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The United States launched a fresh round of military strikes against Iran on Saturday after accusing Tehran of attacking a commercial container ship in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, further escalating tensions between the two countries.
The US military said the operation began at 7:15pm Washington time (2315 GMT) following what it described as a blatant attack by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the vital shipping lane.
In a statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were carried out under the direction of President Donald Trump.
“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.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also defended the operation, saying: “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed “until further notice,” according to state media.
Iranian media said the Guards had fired warning shots at a vessel using what they described as an unauthorised route through the strategic waterway.
The latest escalation threatens to derail already fragile diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran after both sides exchanged military strikes over the past several days.
One of the main obstacles to any future agreement remains the status of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran insists it has the right to control shipping through the waterway, while Washington continues to demand unrestricted freedom of navigation for international commercial vessels.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports. Any disruption to shipping through the narrow passage could have far-reaching consequences for global energy markets and international trade.