U.S. Launches Third Round of Iran Strikes

U.S. Central Command said Saturday that American forces had begun a third round of strikes against Iran this week after what it called an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attack on a container ship.

The operation began at 7:15 p.m. ET, according to CENTCOM. The command did not identify the targets or locations in its statement.

CENTCOM accused Revolutionary Guard forces of attacking M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.

The command said one civilian crew member was missing. An onboard fire and significant engine room damage left the vessel unable to continue its journey, according to the statement.

CENTCOM said Iran was given another opportunity to abide by a Memorandum of Understanding after previous attacks on commercial vessels, but had failed to do so. The statement gave no details on the terms of the memorandum.

The command said the United States was imposing a “heavy cost” intended to reduce Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels traveling through the strait.

CENTCOM said the commander in chief directed the strikes. It provided no additional information about the operation.

Iran Announces Strait Closure

Iran said Sunday that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz until further notice after its Revolutionary Guard navy struck and stopped an unidentified vessel, Reuters reported.

The Iranian navy accused the vessel of switching off its systems, endangering maritime security and using an unauthorized route. It also said several ships disregarded warnings to correct their courses.

Neither statement established whether the unidentified vessel described by Iran was M/V GFS Galaxy.

Iran said the strait would remain closed until U.S. interference in the region ended. Its navy warned that aggression against Iran would bring a severe response and that new enemy bases in the region would be targeted.

Trump Says Cease-Fire Is Over

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States had agreed to continue talks with Iran but had told Tehran “in no uncertain terms” that the cease-fire was over.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!”

“We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” — President Donald Trump on Truth Social

Trump said Iran requested the talks. His post did not explain what the negotiations would cover or when they would take place.

Earlier, Trump declared the cease-fire “over” while speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. He was seated beside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

“To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum… They’re led by sick people… As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” Trump said.

Trump said negotiations could continue but expressed little hope for an agreement.

“They have to come back to me,” he said.

Trump linked the U.S. strikes to what he described as Iranian attacks on ships during funeral observances for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed Feb. 28 in the opening attack of the war.

“We attacked, very powerfully last night, the very dangerous people from Iran,” Trump said. “We say, ‘Go and do your funeral stuff,’ and instead of that, they start shooting rockets at ships yesterday. So we hit them very hard last night.”

Talks Continue Over Safe Passage

Senior U.S. officials told reporters Friday that Washington wanted Iran to commit publicly to ending attacks on ships and opening every lane through the strait without tolls.

A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Iran, the United States, Qatar and Pakistan had agreed to negotiate through a call mediators were trying to arrange for Saturday. It was not immediately clear whether the effort succeeded.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Oman to discuss possible mechanisms for ships to pass safely through the strait.

Oman’s state news agency said the two sides would continue talks at the technical and political levels.

Earlier Strikes Follow Ship Attacks

Three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers came under fire earlier in the week. U.S. strikes on Iranian sites followed, then Iranian strikes against U.S. military sites in Gulf states, according to Reuters.

CENTCOM said Tuesday that it had launched a “series of powerful strikes” after what it described as Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

The command said the strikes were intended “to impose heavy costs” for targeting commercial vessels crewed by civilians in an international waterway. It called Iran’s actions unwarranted, dangerous and a clear violation of the cease-fire.

Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reported that Iran’s effective blockade has pushed up energy prices and fueled global inflation.