Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, strikes merchant ship; US retaliates with airstrikes on Revolutionary Guard positions
A commercial vessel was set ablaze and a crew member is missing after Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired warning shots at ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the US to launch new airstrikes on Guard positions in southern Iran.
Closure of the strait
In the early hours of 12 July, Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced via Sepah News that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to all shipping "until further notice" and until "the end of US interference in this region." The IRGC said multiple vessels had attempted to use an unauthorized route and ignored orders to alter course, endangering maritime security. Warning shots were fired, and one ship was hit.
The US military reported that the targeted vessel was a container ship. One crew member is missing, and the ship cannot continue its journey because of a fire onboard and severe engine-room damage. A US official confirmed to journalist Barak Ravid that the IRGC fired a rocket at the commercial vessel, which was struck and heavily damaged.
No foreign interference in determining shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz will be tolerated. Such interference would lead to decisive action.
US military response
In response, the United States launched new airstrikes on positions of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Iranian state television reported explosions in several cities in the south of the country. The US military statement confirmed ongoing bombardment of IRGC targets, though no official US government comment was initially issued. The airstrikes followed the IRGC's rocket attack on the container ship, and the Pentagon described the damage to the vessel as severe.
Escalation after a broken ceasefire
The closure follows a week of rising tensions. Earlier in the week, the Guard attacked three passing tankers, and the US retaliated with heavy bombardments. On Friday 10 July, President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran had ended, though he added that talks would continue. The mid-June truce halted hostilities between the two adversaries, but the current violence is the worst since that agreement.
The ceasefire is over.
Political threats and a new leader
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader of Iran, swore revenge on Saturday 11 July for the death of his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US attacks on 28 February. Trump earlier stated he had instructed the US military to be prepared to fire thousands of missiles at Iran in case of an assassination attempt against him. The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had provided Washington with intelligence about an Iranian plot targeting Trump.
I have instructed the US military to be prepared to fire thousands of missiles at Iran in the event of an attack on me.
- US and Iran agree to a ceasefire, halting hostilities.
- IRGC attacks three tankers passing through the Strait; US retaliates with heavy bombardments.
- President Trump declares the ceasefire over, while stating talks with Iran will continue.
- Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei vows revenge for his father's death in US strikes.
- IRGC closes the Strait of Hormuz, fires a rocket at a container ship; US launches new airstrikes on IRGC positions.
What comes next
The Revolutionary Guard warned that any further US aggression would be met with a sharp response and that new hostile bases in the region would be targeted. The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked until the US withdraws from the region, according to the IRGC's statement. No timeline for a diplomatic resolution was indicated.
