US launches third wave of strikes as Iran hits tanker, shuts Hormuz

US-Iran War Live Updates: US Central Command said it has launched a third round of strikes on Iran after accusing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of “blatantly” attacking a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was unable to continue its journey due to an onboard fire and engine damage, with one crew member missing, CENTCOM said.The strikes came after the IRGC declared the strait temporarily closed, having fired a warning shot at a vessel it said was attempting to transit an unapproved route. Residents in Asaluyeh and Bandar Deyr in southern Iran reported hearing several explosions, Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster said.

“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed,” CENTCOM said, referring to the peace deal signed on June 16. “In response, the United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait,” it added.

The escalation comes as tensions mount on other fronts. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei pledged to avenge the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, by US and Israeli forces, declaring that “revenge is the will of our nation.” US President Donald Trump threatened to “decimate and destroy all areas of Iran” if Iranians attempt to assassinate him, following chants for his death at Khamenei’s funeral.

Amid the standoff, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, with sources saying Muscat has proposed two separately controlled shipping routes through the strait — one via Iranian territorial waters and one via Omani waters.