The United States Central Command initiated a third round of strikes against Iran on Saturday evening, following an attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the Cyprus-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes, directed by President Donald Trump, began at 19:15 Eastern Time and aimed, according to CENTCOM, to degrade Iran’s ability to target civilian mariners and commercial shipping freely transiting the strait. One crew member of the Galaxy remains missing, and the vessel was disabled by fire and engine room damage, leaving it unable to continue its voyage.

Tehran, through IRGC and state media statements, announced the closure of the strait “until further notice,” asserting that a vessel on an unauthorised route with its tracking systems switched off was warned and then struck by a cruise missile. The IRGC Navy said the waterway would remain shut until what it termed “American interference” in the region ceased. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, after talks in Muscat, confirmed Tehran had rejected an Omani proposal for two alternative transit corridors, insisting that control of the routes must stay under its authority. Oman said political and technical discussions would continue, but no breakthrough emerged.

Washington portrayed the Iranian move as a violation of the fragile ceasefire agreement, accusing Tehran of failing to demonstrate adherence to a memorandum of understanding after earlier attacks on commercial ships. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that “Iran made a poor choice – now they pay.” US military sources indicated the strikes targeted air-defence systems, radar installations, and sites for storing and launching missiles and drones. Iranian media reported explosions in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, on Qeshm Island, and near Bushehr and Assaluyeh.

The exchange marks an intensification of tit-for-tat actions that have unfolded over recent weeks since a provisional ceasefire from early April 2026 unravelled. Iran responded to earlier US strikes by hitting American bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, while US naval forces have escorted commercial traffic through the strait and destroyed Iranian drones threatening shipping. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global oil flows, has become the central theatre of confrontation. Oman’s diplomatic efforts offer a rare channel for de-escalation, but with Tehran maintaining its blockade and Washington pressing military action, the dossier remains volatile and next steps uncertain.