US launches third strike on Iran after cargo ship disabled

Washington/Teheran (ANTARA) - US forces on Saturday (11/7) launched a third wave of attacks against Iran this week after a Cyprus-flagged container ship was attacked while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

“Iran was given another opportunity to demonstrate compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for previous attacks on commercial vessels, but once again failed,” the command said in a post on the social media platform X.

“In response, the US is making Iran bear severe consequences by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian sailors and merchant ships transiting freely through the strait,” the command said.

Explosions shook several cities in southern Iran, Iran’s Press TV reported.

Meanwhile, Iran said the Strait of Hormuz had been closed following an attack on a vessel that was sailing through an unapproved route, and warned 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 Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said in a statement.

As a result of the incident, the strait would remain closed “until further notice” and “until the end of American interference in this region,” the statement said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in a statement that a container ship caught fire and was damaged in an incident off the coast of Oman on Saturday evening local time.