U.S. Strikes Iran After Warning Shot Hits Cyprus-Flagged Vessel in Strait of Hormuz

The United States launched another round of strikes on Iran on Sunday aimed at degrading Tehran’s ability to target commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with the latest round commencing at 5 p.m. ET, U.S. Central Command said.

Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was closed once again after a warning shot fired by its military struck a vessel using an unauthorized route, and Iran state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas and Sirik.

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U.S. Central Command said a Cyprus-flagged container ship was hit and suffered "significant engineroom damage" with a civilian crew member missing, while CENTCOM said it later began a third round of strikes against Iran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on social media, "Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay," as the exchanges of fire followed Iran and Oman's foreign ministers meeting on Saturday to discuss the strait.

After the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Donald Trump threatened Iran with 1,000 "locked and loaded" missiles if the Iranian government acted on its threat to assassinate him, writing, "1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran".

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed revenge in a funeral message carried by Iranian state media, saying, "Revenge is the demand of our nation and must certainly be carried out," as the U.S. and Iran traded threats.

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CENTCOM rejected Iranian claims that three American service members were killed in Kuwait, saying "FALSE," and adding there were "zero reports of US service member deaths or injuries in the region".

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry urged all parties to avoid actions that could escalate the situation or endanger commercial shipping, calling for "refraining from any actions that could escalate tensions or jeopardise the safety and security of maritime navigation."

U.S. officials said negotiations to further cement last month’s deal to end the war would be unable to progress without the strait being secure, and Trump’s administration demanded Iran make a public statement that the Strait of Hormuz is open and that ships transiting it will not be attacked.

CENTCOM said, "Traffic is flowing," and that "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz," while Iran’s IRGC said the strait was "closed until further notice" and would remain closed until the end of U.S. interference.

The dispute over passage and control has been tied to energy stakes, with the strait serving as the route for roughly one-fifth the world’s oil supply before the war, and the U.S. urging mariners to transit on a southern route through Oman's territorial waters.

As mediators try to salvage diplomacy, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said before the new round of strikes that he met with his counterpart in Oman to discuss "appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the safe passage of ships," while Oman said it and Iran agreed to keep talking "at the technical and political levels."