US Central Command said it conducted a third series of strikes this week against 140 Iranian military targets in the Strait of Hormuz region. The strikes hit missile and drone sites, communications networks and coastal surveillance locations after Iran attacked the MV GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus‑flagged vessel, damaging its engine room and leaving one crew member missing.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely and warned that any US aggression would be met with a strong response. The IRGC said its response included strikes on the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, which it said destroyed the base’s command centre and MQ‑9 drone hangars.

Within hours of the US strikes, Iranian‑aligned groups in the Gulf launched missiles and drones that were intercepted by the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Earlier in the week, three commercial tankers were attacked in Omani waters, prompting a previous round of US strikes that killed 17 people and injured 115, according to Iranian officials.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Iran had made a choice that would have consequences. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the era of one‑sided deals was over. The Strait closure follows a public statement by Iran’s new supreme leader urging retaliation. Diplomatic talks are expected to continue despite the heightened tensions, and mediators are working to revive a stalled process. The long‑term effect on shipping and energy markets remains unclear.