Iran declares Strait of Hormuz closed, US launches new strikes

Iran on Sunday said ⁠it closed the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel travelled on an unapproved route and was struck, warning that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response”.

“A vessel that had jeopardised maritime security by switching off its systems was struck and brought to a halt,” the Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement, without giving any details about the ship.

⁠The ⁠US ⁠military said shortly after that it had launched a new round of ‌strikes against Iran after IRGC forces attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the ⁠strait.

“A civilian ‌crew member is missing and the ‌vessel is unable to continue ⁠the ⁠journey due to an ‌onboard fire and significant engineroom damage,” ‌US Central Command ‌said in a statement on ⁠social media.

The Iranian statement said several ships attempted to move through the waterway on an “unauthorised route” and disregarded warnings to correct their course. The strait, the IRGC said, was closed “until ‌further notice” and until “the end of US interference in this region”.

Acts of aggression against Iran “will be met with a severe response, and new enemy bases in the region will be targeted”, the Navy said.