US Central Command said Saturday it completed a third round of strikes against Iran this week, hitting roughly 140 military targets after Iranian forces attacked a container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, deepening a crisis that has pushed the two countries toward renewed full-scale conflict.
CENTCOM said the strikes, carried out by fighter jets, drones and naval vessels, targeted Iranian missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, ammunition depots, communication networks and coastal surveillance positions. Across the three rounds of strikes this week, the US has now hit more than 300 targets, the command said, describing the action as a response to repeated Iranian attacks on commercial shipping despite warnings to comply with last month’s memorandum of understanding. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran had made a poor choice and would now face the consequences.
The latest round followed an attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on the Cyprus-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy, which the Guard said was using an unauthorized route through the strait. One crew member was reported missing and the vessel suffered engine-room fire damage before its crew evacuated by lifeboat, maritime authorities said. Iran subsequently declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice, while the Revolutionary Guard also claimed to have struck a US base in Qatar and reported firing at a second vessel.
The exchange triggered wider alarm across the Gulf, with the United Arab Emirates reporting its air defenses responding to missile and drone attacks early Sunday. The escalation comes despite an Iranian delegation traveling to Oman on Saturday to continue indirect talks with US mediators, even as the ceasefire agreed under the mid-June memorandum showed signs of collapse. President Trump said Friday he would “decimate and destroy” Iran if any attempt were made on his life, adding that missiles remained “locked and loaded” and aimed at the country should that occur.
