US launchs new attacks as Iran closes Hormuz Strait

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it closed the waterway until further notice, and the “ungrateful ship” was attacked after it shut down its systems and diverted from the approved route, according to state media.

The US Central Command (Centcom) says the head “raund of attacks this week” after IRC forces “openly attacked” a Cyprus flagship.

This comes after incidents earlier this week in which three commercial tanks were attacked, prompting an exchange of attacks with the US.

Centcom said that the MV GFS Galaxy was “unable to continue its” as a result of significant damage to the engine room. A civilian member of the crew was missing, she said.

United Kingdom Trade Operations (UKMTO) said they were informed by military authorities that the crew had been forced to abandon the ship and was on a lifeboat.

<x0Iran was given another opportunity to demonstrate the respect of the Memorandum of Understanding after being held responsible for previous attacks on commercial ships, but again failed”, Centcom wrote in a separate statement about X.

The statement was split by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wrote: “Iran made a wrong choice. Now they pay. ” / BBC