US launches fresh strikes as Iran closes Strait of Hormuz

BBC:

The US said it launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran after Tehran struck a ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it closed the waterway until further notice and warned of a severe response to US “aggression”, according to state media.

Within hours of the US strikes, the IRGC said they had hit a US base in Jordan, while the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain were all responding to missiles and drones from Iran.

It comes after incidents earlier this week in which three commercial tankers were attacked, prompting an exchange of strikes with the US.

US Central Command (Centcom) said it launched a third round of strikes this week after the IRGC “blatantly attacked” a Cyprus-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Centcom said the MV GFS Galaxy was “unable to continue its journey” as a result of significant damage to the engine room. One civilian crew member was missing, it said.

It said US strikes hit 140 Iranian military targets, including missile and drone sites, communication networks, and coastal surveillance locations.

The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had been informed by military authorities that the crew of the vessel were forced to abandon ship and were in a lifeboat.

“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,” Centcom wrote in a statement shared to X.

The statement was shared by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who wrote: “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.”

The IRGC said the US had targeted “a number of coastal bases and telecommunications towers on the southern coast”.

In response, Iran said its “first phase” of retaliation included strikes on the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, saying it had destroyed the base’s command and control centre and MQ9 drone hangars.