U.S. launches airstrikes after Iranian attack on commercial vessel in Strait of Hormuz

The United States conducted airstrikes on Saturday against Iran in retaliation for an attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The strike was the third U.S. bombing of Iranian positions this week linked to attacks on commercial vessels.

Centcom said the Iranian assault caused a fire and severe damage to the ship's engine room, leaving the vessel unable to continue its voyage and resulting in one missing crew member. In a social-media post, the command said the United States was imposing a heavy cost to degrade Iran's ability to target civilian mariners.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted, > "Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay."

Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced the closure of the strait to all ship traffic until further notice, stating that no vessel would be permitted to transit. The closure follows Tehran's demand that ships use a northern route through Iranian waters rather than the southern route along Oman's coast, which is protected by U.S. forces.

The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to reopen the strait, but the agreement left ship-traffic management undefined. Former State Department energy envoy David Goldwyn said the memorandum "did not reach an understanding with respect to the management of ship traffic" and essentially left the issue unresolved.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright told a conference in New York that the U.S. military would ensure the flow of energy out of the Gulf regardless of an agreement with Iran, adding that Iran would no longer be able to close the strait.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Oman for talks with Omani officials, with France and the United Kingdom reviewing Omani-drafted proposals that could allow optional navigational fees under UN maritime regulations.