The United States military launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command reported that the vessel suffered significant engine room damage and one crew member is missing. In response, US forces hit approximately 140 targets, including missile and air defense systems and IRGC speed boats, to degrade Tehran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships. President Donald Trump stated that the strikes were intended to stop attacks on commercial vessels.
Iran responded by declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice, claiming the vessel had jeopardized maritime security by switching off its systems and using an unauthorized route. Tehran has demanded that vessels use a northern route through its waters rather than the US-protected route along Oman's coast. In retaliation for US strikes, Tehran targeted installations in Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, hitting border posts and an offshore oil platform in Kuwait, while three people in Qatar were injured by falling shrapnel.
Within Iran, explosions were reported in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Bandar-e Deyr, Asaluyeh, and Jask. Projectiles also hit military targets on Qeshm Island, though no casualties were reported there. This escalation marks the third round of US strikes in a week and casts doubt on the future of an interim agreement signed in June. These events follow a period of tit-for-tat strikes and the end of a February 28 ceasefire.