US launches new strikes on Iran as Tehran closes Strait of Hormuz again

The United States carried out another round of military strikes on Iran on Sunday after Tehran attacked a container ship and announced a renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz, marking a further escalation in the months-long conflict that has spread across the Gulf.

Iran said it shut the strategic waterway after firing a warning shot that struck a vessel travelling on what it described as an "unauthorised route". It later said a second vessel had also been disabled and warned that any retaliation would draw a "severe response". The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that the strait would remain closed until what it called the end of US interference in the region.

The latest escalation disrupted maritime activity across the Gulf. Oman said 23 crew members from the container ship GFS Galaxy had been rescued, while India reported that one of its nationals remained missing following the incident off Oman's coast. Qatar advised all commercial and recreational vessels, including fishing boats and jet skis, to suspend operations.

Despite Iran's announcement, US Central Command (Centcom) maintained that commercial vessels continued to transit the waterway, which before the conflict carried around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments. Centcom said US forces remained deployed to protect freedom of navigation, asserting that shipping traffic through the strait was continuing.

The renewed confrontation has also expanded geographically. Iran said it targeted US military assets and facilities in Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, while attacks also extended to the United Arab Emirates, which had not been targeted since early May. Qatar, which has played a mediating role in ceasefire efforts, said three people, including a child, were injured by falling shrapnel and held Iran legally responsible for the attack. Bahrain reported intercepting several Iranian aerial threats, Jordan confirmed missile strikes and Oman said it had been targeted by drones.

Earlier, Centcom announced that US forces had struck 140 Iranian military targets on Saturday, bringing the total to more than 300 targets over three nights. Washington said the operations were intended to reduce Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported explosions in several port cities and said an Iranian army officer had been killed in what it described as US-Israeli attacks.

The latest hostilities have further undermined an interim US-Iran agreement reached on June 18 that sought to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and create a 60-day window for further negotiations. US President Donald Trump has since said he considers the ceasefire effectively over, although he has indicated that diplomacy remains possible.

Diplomatic contacts nevertheless continued over the weekend. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi in Muscat to discuss arrangements related to the Strait of Hormuz, with Qatari participation expected in subsequent talks. Araghchi also spoke by telephone with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who called on all sides to exercise restraint and pursue de-escalation.

Separately, Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X that "the era of one-sided deals is OVER," warning the United States to "keep your word or pay the price." A day earlier, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei pledged to avenge those killed during the conflict, including his predecessor, saying Iran remained committed to retaliation.