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US strikes hit Iran as Tehran shuts Strait of Hormuz, widening conflict
The U.S. Central Command announced the completion of a third round of strikes against Iran, targeting roughly 140 military sites including missile‑launch facilities, drone hangars, ammunition depots, communications networks and coastal surveillance stations. The attacks, ordered by President Donald Trump, were presented as a response to Iranian actions that threatened commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had closed the Strait after warning‑shot fire hit the container ship M/V GFS Galaxy, which it claimed ignored an authorized route. The Guard warned that the waterway would remain closed “until U.S. interference ends.”
In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, prompting sirens and air‑defence alerts across the Gulf. Explosions were reported in several Iranian coastal cities.
The strait, a conduit for about 20 % of global oil supplies, remains blocked, raising concerns over worldwide energy markets. Parallel diplomatic talks in Oman continued, but no agreement was reached on reopening the passage.