Iran announced late Saturday that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz after firing at a commercial ship in the critical waterway — defying President Trump’s ultimatum to the regime and forcing the US to unleash its wrath on Tehran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the vessel was struck after its forces fired a warning shot and ordered it to change course.
“A vessel that had jeopardized maritime security by switching off its systems was struck and brought to a halt,” the IRGC Navy said in a statement Saturday.
The statement added that several ships attempted to move through the waterway on an “unauthorized route” and disregarded warnings.
A ship sails off the coast of Ajman in the Persian Gulf on July 10, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
The strait — through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply flows — would be closed “until further notice” and until “the end of US interference in this region,” the IRGC said.
In response, the US launched its third round of strikes this week against the regime.
“At 7:15 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching the third round of strikes this week against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command said in a statement on X.
The agency said a civilian crew member is now “missing” and the ship sustained “significant engineroom damage.”
“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed,” the statement continued.
“In response, the United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait. The strikes are being carried out at the direction of the Commander in Chief.”
Several Iranian military installations were targeted in the strikes, including ground-to-air missile launchers, drone and missile storage facilities and launch sites, and surveillance radars, a US official told Axios’ Barak Ravid.
Explosions were heard in the southern Iranian cities of Bushehr and Asaluyeh early Sunday local time, Iranian state-run media reported.
“Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted on X.
The drama on the seas came after the Trump administration issued a stark ultimatum to Tehran on Friday, demanding that the regime publicly declare the Strait of Hormuz safe and open – or the president would start exercising all his options.
“What we’re demanding is that the Iranians issue a public statement that acknowledges all channels of the Strait of Hormuz are open and they’re not shooting at ships anymore,” a US official said.
“They’re either going to give us that statement, or we’re not going to have a good outcome.”
Iran, meanwhile, vowed Saturday that any response by the US or allies would draw “severe” retaliation.
A satellite image shows damage at the control tower in the port of Chabahar, Iran, July 9, 2026, after the U.S. military said it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping. via REUTERS
Earlier on Saturday, before the hostilities broke out, Iranian and Omani representatives met in Muscat to discuss the crucial international chokepoint.
Muscat presented Iran with a proposal to allow continued shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with the waterway divided into two lanes — one managed by Oman and the other by the Islamic Republic, CNN reported.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the war in Iran:
The Southern Corridor, in Omani territorial waters, would allow the pre-war status quo of free navigation for commercial shipping. Traveling through the strait’s Northern Corridor, which is in Iranian territorial waters, would require pre-approval from Tehran.
The US launched strikes on Iranian targets over two days last week in response to other Iranian attacks on ships making their way through the strait.
Tensions between the two countries since then have ratcheted up, with President Trump telling The Post on Friday that he’s left detailed instructions to take revenge on the Ayatollah’s regime should they assassinate him.
“I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before,” Trump said.
Mourners were seen chanting “death to America” and “death to Trump” at Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral in Iran last week.
With Post wires