US Launches Third Wave of Strikes on Iran After Hormuz Incident

The United States military stated on Saturday that it had launched a third wave of strikes against Iran this week after Iranian forces attacked a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz and announced the closure of the shipping lane. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes began at 7.15 p.m. local time on the orders of President Donald Trump as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, via social media platform X. According to CENTCOM, the strikes were carried out after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked the cargo vessel M/V GFS Galaxy. One civilian crew member was reported missing as a result of the attack. The ship was also unable to continue its voyage due to a fire on board and severe damage to its engine room. A US official, cited by Axios, said the IRGC fired a missile at the vessel as it transited the Strait of Hormuz, causing the damage. The incident occurred a day after the Trump administration asked Iran to provide public guarantees regarding the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The guarantee was one of Washington’s main conditions for halting the cycle of conflict with Tehran. The attack also followed talks in Muscat, Oman, involving Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, and several Qatari officials. The negotiations sought a way out of the deadlock between the two countries. Meanwhile, the IRGC stated it had warned several ships not to use what it called an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC claimed it fired ‘warning shots’ after a cargo ship failed to change course. ‘Following this incident, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the American intervention in this region ends. No ships are permitted to pass,’ the IRGC statement said. A diplomat familiar with the talks said Oman proposed reopening both shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, including full access to the southern route through Omani waters according to pre-war rules. However, the Iranian delegation reportedly could not agree to the proposal and returned to Tehran for further discussions. US officials said the cargo ship attacked by the IRGC was transiting the southern route that Oman had proposed reopening. CENTCOM stated that Iran was once again given an opportunity to demonstrate compliance with the agreed memorandum of understanding. However, according to the US military, Iran again failed to do so. ‘In response, the United States is imposing severe consequences by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the strait freely,’ CENTCOM said.