The US said it had launched a new wave of strikes against Iran after Tehran struck a ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had closed the waterway until further notice and warned of a tough response to US “aggression”, state media reported.
Hours after the US strike, the IRGC said it had struck a US base in Jordan, while the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain responded to missiles and drones from Iran.
It follows incidents earlier this week in which three commercial tankers were attacked, sparking an exchange of strikes with the US.
US Central Command (Centcom) said it launched a third round of strikes this week after the IRGC “flagrantly attacked” a Cypriot-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
Centcom said the MV GFS Galaxy was “unable to continue its course” as a result of extensive engine room damage. One civilian crew member is reported missing.
It said US strikes hit 140 Iranian military targets, including missile and drones, communications networks and coastal surveillance sites.
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said military authorities had reported that the ship’s crew had been forced to abandon ship and were in a lifeboat.
“Iran was given another opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to the MoU after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels, but failed again,” Centcom wrote in a statement released by X.
The statement was released by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wrote: “Iran made a bad choice. Now they are paying.”
The IRGC said the US had struck “a number of coastal bases and telecommunications towers on the southern coast”.
In response, Iran said its “first phase” of retaliation included strikes on the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, saying it destroyed the base’s command and control center and hangars for MQ9 drones.
Earlier on Sunday, state media said Iran had closed the Strait of Hormuz until further notice after it fired a sea-based cruise missile at a ship attempting to take an unagreed route.
Guardsmen said the vessel was “fired with warning shots and stopped” after ignoring repeated instructions, the state news agency said in a statement.
He also warned that any US “aggression” as a result of the shutdown would be met with a “harsh” response, and new bases in the region would be targeted.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also the country’s chief negotiator with the US, wrote on X that “the era of one-sided deals is over.”
He continued: “We told you, keep your word or pay. Reality knocks.”
