The United States launched a new round of military strikes against Iranian targets after Iran fired a missile at a Cyprus-flagged cargo vessel attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.According to US Central Command, the missile strike caused heavy damage to the ship and left one civilian crew member missing.

American officials described the attack as a deliberate assault on commercial shipping and stated that Iran had failed to honour previous commitments intended to reduce tensions in the region.Following the incident, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Iran would face consequences for its actions.

The retaliatory operation reportedly targeted Iranian military infrastructure, including air surveillance systems, missile and drone storage facilities, launch sites and surface-to-air missile batteries.

Reports from regional media indicated explosions in several southern Iranian ports, including Bandar Abbas, Jask, Sirik, Chabahar and Asaluyeh, as the strikes were carried out.

Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed until further notice, claiming the decision was a response to what it described as unlawful foreign interference.

The strait is one of the world's most strategically important maritime routes, carrying roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil under normal conditions.

Continued disruption to shipping through the waterway has already contributed to higher energy prices and increased concerns about global supply chains.

The article also notes that the United States had conducted earlier retaliatory strikes during the same week after previous attacks on commercial vessels, highlighting the rapid escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran despite recent diplomatic contacts involving Iranian and Omani officials.