- Centcom says Trump ordered strikes to degrade Iran’s capabilities.
- Iran’s IRGC Navy announces closure of Hormuz “until further notice.”
- Tehran warned that any act of aggression would provoke a severe response.
The US military said on Saturday it launched a new round of strikes against Iran, after Tehran “brazenly attacked” a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest attacks, which began at 7:15 p.m. in Washington (23:15 GMT), occurred “after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces brazenly attacked” a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the US Central Command said in a statement.
“The United States is imposing a high cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian sailors and commercial ships freely transiting the strait,” Centcom said, adding that the attacks were being carried out at the direction of President Donald Trump.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said simply: “Iran made a bad decision. Now they are paying.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the Strait of Hormuz would be closed “until further notice,” state media reported.
Guards had fired warning shots at a ship using an unauthorized route, according to reports.
The move threatens to further complicate efforts to salvage negotiations between the United States and Iran after both sides traded attacks in recent days.
A key obstacle to a final agreement is the future of the Strait of Hormuz: Tehran insists it will control shipping through the waterway and Washington demands unrestricted navigation.
“Double route shipping plan to Hormuz”
Araqchi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi met in Oman to exchange “views on appropriate mechanisms for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Minister. Reuters reported.
Oman’s state news agency said Omani and Iranian negotiators would continue talks “at technical and political levels.”
CNN reported on Saturday that Oman submitted a draft proposal for the strait, which includes free navigation through its southern corridor in Omani territorial waters. The plan required ships transiting the northern corridor through Iranian territorial waters to obtain prior approval from Iran, although no tolls would be imposed. cnn saying.
The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the cnn report.
Washington is demanding that Tehran publicly declare that it will stop attacks on ships in the strait and that all lanes will be open without tolls, senior US officials have said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused the United States of violating the ceasefire agreement. “There can only be mutual fulfillment,” he wrote on X on Friday.
The United States revoked the license authorizing the sale of Iranian crude oil on Tuesday after three commercial oil tankers from Qatar and Saudi Arabia were attacked earlier in the week, prompting the United States to attack Iranian sites. Iran then attacked US military sites in the Gulf states.
