US and Iran exchange strikes as Tehran again says Strait of Hormuz is closed

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel traveling on an unapproved route was struck and brought to a halt. The IRGC warned that any retaliation would be met with a "severe response." The statement did not provide details about the ship but said it had jeopardized maritime security by switching off its systems.

Shortly after, US Central Command announced its forces had begun a third round of strikes against Iran. "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 military said.

A Cyprus-flagged container ship struck by Iran suffered "significant engine room damage," and a civilian crew member is missing, according to US Central Command. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said it received a report of an incident nine nautical miles east of Oman, noting that a container ship sustained damage to the rear, causing a fire onboard.

Iran's statement claimed several ships attempted to transit the waterway via an "unauthorised route" and ignored warnings to correct course. The strait is closed "until further notice" and "until the end of US interference in this region." Acts of aggression against Iran "will be met with a severe response, and new enemy bases in the region will be targeted."

The incident comes amid diplomatic efforts in Oman to discuss the strait's fate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met his Omani counterpart to exchange "views on appropriate mechanisms for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz," according to Tehran. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Iran, the US, Qatar, and Pakistan had agreed to negotiate in a call that mediators were trying to arrange for Saturday while Araqchi was in Oman. It was not immediately clear whether the efforts were successful.

The diplomatic moves followed exchanges of rhetoric between Tehran and Washington. Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Saturday vowed revenge for the killing of his father and predecessor, hours after US President Donald Trump threatened severe reprisals in the event of any attempt on his life.

"Vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out," Khamenei said in a written message. "This matter depends neither on my personal existence nor on that of other officials. Whether we are present or not, it will come to pass." He said Iran had compiled a list of individuals to be targeted.

Both sides carried out exchanges of fire earlier this week, rocking an interim agreement aimed at ending the war that broke out in late February with massive US-Israeli strikes that killed the then supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Trump has declared the ceasefire over while leaving the door open for talks, and mediators have been trying to salvage a diplomatic solution. Iranian media reported that a delegation from Qatar traveled to Iran on Friday.

Hours earlier, Trump posted on Truth Social that any attempt to assassinate him would lead the United States to "completely decimate" Iran. "1000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian government act on its threat... to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!" he wrote.

News outlets Axios and Politico reported that Washington has given Tehran until Saturday to stop firing on commercial ships transiting Hormuz and acknowledge the waterway is open.