The U.S. announced a third wave of strikes against Iran following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
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On the night of July 12, the U.S. launched a new series of strikes against Iran—the third this week—after Tehran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump ordered the strikes following a new attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Central Command said.
According to the command, forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked the Cypriot-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy as it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, the vessel is unable to continue its journey due to significant damage and a fire on board, and one crew member is missing, the statement said.
Shortly before that, Iran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels until “U.S. interference” in regional affairs “ceases,” Reuters reports. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that several vessels had attempted to cross the strait via an “unauthorized route.” One of them was stopped after a warning shot was fired—according to Tehran, the vessel had turned off its navigation systems and ignored orders to change course, thereby posing a threat to maritime traffic.
Context
The situation in the Middle East escalated again this week. Three commercial tankers belonging to Qatar and Saudi Arabia were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. This prompted the U.S. to launch retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets, to which Iran responded with attacks on U.S. military facilities in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. also revoked the license authorizing the sale of Iranian crude oil.
Donald Trump said on Friday that the ceasefire with Iran is no longer in effect, but Washington and Tehran have agreed to continue negotiations despite the escalation of hostilities. According to Reuters sources, the U.S. is demanding that Iran publicly commit to ceasing attacks on ships in the strait and to ensuring free and unimpeded passage through this waterway.
This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor
