The United States has resumed airstrikes against Iran after a commercial vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
On July 11, U.S. Central Command announced via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that at 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked the Cypriot-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In response, U.S. forces initiated their third round of airstrikes against Iran this week.
According to Central Command, one civilian crew member is missing following the attack, which also caused a fire on board and significant damage to the engine room, rendering the vessel unable to navigate.
Central Command asserted that Iran had been given an opportunity to adhere to a previous memorandum of understanding (MOU) following earlier attacks on commercial vessels but violated it again. The command emphasized, “The U.S. continues to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian vessels and crews transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran is paying a significant price for this.” They also noted that the operation was conducted under the orders of President Donald Trump.
Following the commencement of the airstrikes, multiple explosions were reported in several southern regions of Iran. Russian state news agency TASS cited local Iranian media reporting sounds of explosions in Asaluyeh and Bushehr. Reuters also reported that Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB confirmed three explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas and two in Sirik.
The airstrikes were carried out shortly after the IRGC officially announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that some vessels attempted to enter unauthorized routes and stating that transit through the strait would be prohibited until further notice.
Despite signing a previous MOU last month, tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue over the routes and control of the Strait of Hormuz, leading to ongoing military confrontations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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