U.S. launches new Iran strikes as Tehran declares Strait of Hormuz closed
(Bloomberg) — The United States launched a third round of strikes on Iran this week as Tehran declared it was closing the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice," sharply escalating tensions around one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said President Donald Trump ordered the strikes after Iranian forces attacked the Cyprus-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy. CENTCOM said the strikes targeted Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping after the vessel suffered significant damage and one civilian crew member was reported missing.
Iranian state media reported explosions along the country's southern coastline, including the energy hubs of Bushehr and Asalouyeh, as well as the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e Dayyer and the Sirik area near the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran made a poor choice," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media. "Now they pay."
Iran responded with strikes targeting U.S. military assets across the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched ballistic missiles toward U.S. facilities in Jordan and Qatar, while Iran's regular army reported drone attacks targeting U.S. military infrastructure in Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. Qatar said it intercepted missiles targeting the country, while air defense sirens sounded across Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier Sunday, the IRGC announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed to vessel traffic until what it described as foreign interference had ended. Iranian state media also reported that two commercial vessels were halted after attempting to transit the waterway despite warnings from Iranian authorities.
Ship-tracking data indicated that visible traffic through the strait remained extremely limited Sunday, with only two oil products tankers observed approaching the chokepoint. One empty very large crude carrier later reappeared inside the Persian Gulf after temporarily disappearing from vessel-tracking systems, suggesting it may have transited the strait with its automatic identification system switched off.
The latest escalation casts further doubt on efforts to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Oman for discussions on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, but there was no indication senior U.S. officials participated.
Tehran has demanded that Washington fulfill commitments related to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the normalization of Iranian oil exports before broader negotiations resume. The Trump administration has insisted Iran publicly guarantee freedom of navigation through the waterway and cease attacks on commercial vessels.
The renewed fighting follows several days of U.S. airstrikes and Iranian retaliation that have disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and fueled volatility in global oil markets, as traders monitor the potential impact on crude exports from the Persian Gulf.
