The US military struck Iranian targets overnight, including radars and missile storage sites, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked the Cypriot-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Central Command said. One civilian crew member is missing and the vessel is disabled due to fire and engine damage. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Iran 'made an unfortunate decision' and is 'now paying.'
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran made an 'unfortunate decision' and is 'now paying,' as the US military struck Iranian targets in a third wave of airstrikes this week. The strikes, confirmed by US Central Command (CENTCOM) early Sunday, targeted air surveillance radars, missile and drone storage facilities, launch sites, naval radars, and surface-to-air missile launchers. They came after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked the Cypriot-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving one civilian crew member missing and the vessel disabled by fire and engine damage.
The story unfolded rapidly early Sunday. At 02:41 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported the US strikes, initially citing Israeli media reports. Within minutes, CENTCOM officially confirmed the third round of strikes, and a senior US official specified the targets. The IRGC attack on the container ship was reported earlier, with the IRGC declaring the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The ship's status—one crew member missing, vessel disabled—was confirmed by CENTCOM. Hegseth's statement, reported later, reinforced the US position.
The strikes are part of an escalating US response to Iranian maritime aggression. As The Zioneer reported on July 9, the IRGC previously claimed joint air and sea strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, and on June 10, claimed a drone strike on Ali al-Salem base in Kuwait. Those claims remain unverified by independent sources.
The full extent of casualties and damage from the latest US strikes remains unconfirmed. The condition of the missing crew member is unknown, and the IRGC's response to the strikes has not yet been reported.
9 developments
- ConfirmedIRGC threatens imminent retaliation after US strikes near Strait of Hormuz
- StrongVance: US struck Iran over ship attacks, operates leverage for safe Hormuz passage
- DevelopingIranian news agency: US strikes hit 7 sites on Iran's southern coast
- DevelopingIRGC says it struck US Fifth Fleet HQ in Bahrain with suicide drones
Source and signal
- Internal intake