New Delhi: In a major development, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz once again after a warning shot fired by its military struck a vessel using an unauthorised route in the critical waterway, further jeopardising the already tenuous ceasefire agreement with the United States. In response, the US Central Command said a short time later that its forces began a third round of strikes against Iran. There were explosions in Bandar Abbas and Sirik, two towns along the shores of the strait, Iran state media reported.
“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,” the American military 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 added in a X post.
A Cyprus-flagged container ship was hit by Iran and suffered “significant engine room damage”, and a civilian crew member is missing, US Central Command said.
Senior US officials had previously said in Washington that negotiations to further cement last month’s deal to end the war would be unable to progress without the strait being secure — and even said they wanted Iran to offer public statements to that effect.
(Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman | CREDIT: REUTERS)
“Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay,” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on social media.
Attacks followed more diplomatic talks about the strait
The latest flurry of shots from both sides followed Iran and Oman’s foreign ministers meeting on Saturday to discuss the strait that lies between them, after days of Iranian attacks on ships and US retaliation that dealt a blow to the interim deal to end the war.
Iran’s new supreme leader, still unseen since the war began, also vowed in his first statement since the funeral of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Iranians would avenge his killing in the war’s opening strikes on February 28.
Such revenge “is the will of our nation and must certainly be carried out,” Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a statement carried on state television, hours after President Donald Trump threatened more missile attacks.
UAE warns public of incoming missile and drone attack as explosions heard in Qatar
Iran apparently responded with strikes targeting Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates warned the public Sunday of an incoming missile and drone attack as explosions could be heard in nearby Qatar. A missile alert sounded in Qatar shortly after the blasts.
Meanwhile, missile alerts sounded in Bahrain, an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf home to the US Navy''s 5th Fleet. It wasn''t immediately clear what locations were under attack in the UAE, which so far hadn''t been targeted in the latest round of attacks by Iran.
Container ship catches fire off Oman, crew embarks on lifeboat
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Saturday (local time) said a container ship in the east of Oman sustained damage which caused a fire onboard. UKMTO stated that the crew had abandoned the ship and embarked on a lifeboat.
Oman said it and Iran agreed to keep talking about the Strait of Hormuz “at the technical and political levels.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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