U.S. forces launched their third round of strikes on Iran in a single week Saturday night, retaliating after Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a commercial container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes began at 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time, according to U.S. Central Command.
The targeted vessel was the M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship. CENTCOM said Iran's strike sparked a fire aboard the ship, left one civilian crew member missing, and disabled the vessel with significant engine room damage.
Minutes after the strikes were announced, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X: "Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay."
CENTCOM issued a statement explaining the context of the new strikes. "Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed," the statement read. The memorandum of understanding was a truce signed in mid-June by President Trump and his Iranian counterpart.
Iran told a different version of events. Sepah News, the official media agency for Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, stated in a Telegram post that Iran had launched warning shots at a "violating ship" in the strait. Tehran also declared the Strait of Hormuz closed "until further notice." Iran warned that if the U.S. retaliated, "will respond severely and new enemy bases in the region will be targeted."
The exchange of fire came even as an Iranian delegation traveled to Oman on Saturday to continue negotiations through mediators. The talks have been complicated by the breakdown of the mid-June ceasefire agreement.
Tensions had already been running high before the ship incident. President Trump on Friday threatened to "decimate and destroy" Iran, writing that "1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran" should the country attempt an assassination against him. On Saturday, Iran's supreme leader issued a statement vowing revenge for his father's death.
CBS News reported it had reached out to the White House for comment on Iran's claim that the strait is now closed. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical shipping lanes, through which a significant portion of global oil supplies pass.