Iran hits Cyprus-flagged ship, shuts Strait of Hormuz, and draws US strikes on 140 military targets
Iran's Revolutionary Guards attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the crew to abandon the vessel as the US launched a new wave of strikes against Iranian military sites.
Iranian forces attacked the container ship M/V GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a major military escalation that has shut down one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints and drawn a heavy wave of US retaliatory strikes.
Attack on a Cyprus-flagged vessel
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated it launched new attacks following a direct strike by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the Cyprus-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy. The semi-official Fars news agency reported the vessel was struck by a cruise missile after it allegedly ignored warnings and attempted to transit via an unapproved route, a claim Tehran cites to justify the attack. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a branch of Britain's Ministry of Defence, reported the vessel was hit about 9 nautical miles east of Oman's Musandam Peninsula.
One crew member is missing and the ship is unable to continue its voyage due to a fire that broke out and significant damage to the engine room.
The UKMTO confirmed the crew abandoned the vessel into a lifeboat.
Strait closed and further IRGC strikes
Following the incident, Iranian state television announced the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until further notice, conditioning the reopening on the cessation of US intervention in the region. The broadcast stressed that no vessels would be allowed to pass, and any adversary using the incident as a pretext for new attacks would face a 'harsh response'. Within hours, the IRGC claimed it had disabled a second vessel in the strait and targeted the strategic US air base at Al Udeid in Qatar with ballistic missiles, asserting it destroyed a fighter jet maintenance center and a command and control facility.
The Strait of Hormuz is closed until further notice, until the American intervention in the region stops.
A timeline of expanding warfare
The escalation unfolded rapidly, marking a severe new phase in regional tensions.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards fire on the container ship, which they claim was using an unapproved route. A cruise missile is reported by Fars news agency.
- UKMTO reports the crew abandoned the M/V GFS Galaxy into a lifeboat due to a fire and significant engine-room damage. CENTCOM confirms one crew member is unaccounted for.
- Iranian state TV declares the Strait closed until further notice, pending an end to US intervention, warning of a 'harsh response' to any new attacks.
- Revolutionary Guards announce they disabled a second vessel and targeted the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar with ballistic missiles, claiming to have destroyed a fighter jet maintenance center.
- CENTCOM announces strikes against Iranian military targets. Explosions are reported in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Bushehr, Chabahar, and Qeshm Island.
- CENTCOM reports completing a third wave of strikes against approximately 140 Iranian military targets, including missile and drone facilities, naval assets, and ammunition depots.
US retaliatory strikes
In retaliation, US forces struck targets across southern Iran. Explosions were reported by sources in several locations, including Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Bushehr, Chabahar, and Qeshm Island. Air defense systems were activated in Tehran. Late Saturday night, CENTCOM announced on X that US forces had completed a third wave of strikes this week, hitting approximately 140 Iranian military targets. The targeted sites included Iranian missile and drone facilities, naval capabilities, ammunition storage depots, communications networks, and coastal surveillance positions.
Hegseth warns Iran
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth addressed the situation directly, framing the strike as a costly miscalculation by Tehran.
Iran made a bad choice. Now they are paying the price.
