The US has launched more strikes on Iran less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump threatened to “decimate and destroy” the country in the event of his assassination.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a message on X Saturday night saying, “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.”
Central Command confirmed that its forces attacked Iran in retaliation for the nation’s alleged attack on a civilian-crewed container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The attack comes just hours after Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed revenge for the death of his father at the start of the war.
“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,” Central Command said in a statement. “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. The strikes are being carried out at the direction of the Commander in Chief.”
The attacks come as Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei have been trading blows while negotiators scramble to restart talks after disputes over the Strait of Hormuz.
In the first statement since the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader said revenge for his father’s assassination on February 28 “will most certainly be carried out.”
UKMTO says crew abandon container ship near Oman after fire onboard
The crew of a container ship abandoned their vessel after military authorities reported it had sustained damage to its rear near Oman, causing a fire onboard, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said today.
The UKMTO earlier said it had received a report of an incident nine nautical miles (16.7 km) east of Oman. In an updated advisory, the agency said it had been informed by military authorities and the vessel’s security officer that the crew had abandoned the vessel and were currently in a lifeboat, adding that authorities were continuing to investigate.
On Sunday, the US military launched a new round of strikes against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
“A civilian crew member is missing, and the vessel is unable to continue the journey due to an onboard fire and significant engine room damage,” the US Central Command said in a statement on X.
Iran’s IRGC navy said earlier today that it had struck and halted a vessel that had “jeopardised maritime security by switching off its systems” after it, along with other vessels, attempted to transit through an unauthorised route despite warnings to correct its course.
ICYMI: US military says it is striking Iran in response to attack on civilian vessel in Strait of Hormuz
Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was closed 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.
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.
A Cyprus-flagged container ship was hit by Iran and suffered “significant engineroom 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 will be unable to progress without the strait being secure — and even said they wanted Iran to offer public statements to that effect.
Instead, the Revolutionary Guards Corps said multiple vessels “disregarded our warnings and instructions to correct their course and proceed along the approved route.” One of them “was struck by a warning shot and brought to a stop.”
Iran said that the strait would remain closed “until further notice” and said it would consider targeting “additional enemy bases in the region” if it faced more attacks.
A little more than an hour later, the US announced its own new round of strikes.
“Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay,” US defence secretary Pete Hegseth posted on social media.
The latest flurry of shots from both sides followed Iran and Oman’s foreign ministers meeting yesterday 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.a
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 U.S. 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 Feb. 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.
Oman said it and Iran agreed to keep talking about the Strait of Hormuz “at the technical and political levels.”
Trump says military will ‘completely decimate and destroy’ Iran if he’s assassinated
How a vague clause in Trump’s peace deal led to anarchy in the Strait of Hormuz
The future of the global economy once again rests on an 100-mile strip of water sandwiched between the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
Shipping through the vital waterway has halved following tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran this week, shaking the foundations of a sketchy 14-point interim peace deal between the warring nations.
It started when Iran attacked three commercial vessels passing through the Omani corridor of the Strait of Hormuz in overnight attacks on Monday.
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US military says it is striking Iran in response to attack on civilian vessel in Strait of Hormuz
Iran said it considers the Strait of Hormuz closed once again after a vessel using an ‘unauthorized route’ was struck by a warning shot in the critical waterway, further jeopardizing the already tenuous ceasefire agreement with the United States.
U.S. Central Command said a short time later that its forces began a third round of strikes against Iran.
“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 military said.
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Ex-Trump aide is shredded by Scott Jennings in on-air Iran war debate: ‘I’m sorry you don’t read much’
Senior US reporter Bruce Golding writes:
A fiery MAGA squabble erupted Thursday night on CNN as two Republican pundits bickered over President Donald Trump’s recently restarted Iran war — with one snarking, “I’m sorry you don’t read much.”
The clash started when former Trump aide Caroline Sunshine questioned an assertion by CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings that Iran has “been at war with us for 47 years.”
“I’m sorry, the first time I’ve heard about the 47-year Iran war was like this year,” said Sunshine, who’s publicly opposed U.S. military action against Iran since last year.
Jennings interrupted and laughingly said: “I’m sorry you don’t read much. Did you just start following the news this year?”
Sunshine, a former Disney Channel teen star, then said, “We don’t teach about the 47-year war with Iran in school,” according to Mediaite.
US may be targeting Bushehr province in latest round of attacks
An Al Jazeera dispatch on Saturday night said that Iranian state broadcasters were reporting “at least 12” explosions in Bushehr province.
The province is located in western Iran and borders the Strait of Hormuz.
The reports follows a new round of attacks from U.S. forces in the region.
Ehsan Jahanian, the province’s deputy governor for political, security and social affairs, reportedly said there have been no casualties in the region stemming from the attacks, according to Al Jazeera.
US Central Command says civilian is missing after container ship attack
U.S. Central Command said a civilian crew member aboard the Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy is missing after an alleged attack on the ship by Iranian forces.
The ship’s engine room was heavily damaged during the attack, according to the military.
Source: independent.co.uk