US launches third strike on Iran after cargo ship disabled

United States forces on Saturday launched a third wave of strikes against Iran this week after a Cyprus-flagged container ship was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). “Iran was given another opportunity to demonstrate compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding but once again failed,” the command said in a post on social media platform X. “In response, the US is making Iran face severe consequences by continuing to degrade its ability to attack civilian mariners and merchant vessels freely navigating the strait.” Explosions rocked several cities in southern Iran, Press TV reported. Meanwhile, Iran said the Strait of Hormuz had been closed after a vessel sailing an unapproved route was attacked, warning that any retaliatory action over the incident would be met with a “harsh response.” “A vessel that endangered maritime security by switching off its systems was attacked and stopped,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said in a statement. As a result of the incident, the strait will remain closed “until further notice” and “until the end of US interference in this region,” the statement read. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in a statement that a container ship caught fire and sustained damage in the incident off the coast of Oman on Saturday evening local time.