US-Iran, new escalation: Cypriot ship hit in Hormuz, Americans strike 140 targets

Despite the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the United States and Iran, relations between the two countries have once again become strained.

The events recorded in recent hours in the Strait of Hormuz have opened another military confrontation. A ship flying the Cypriot flag was attacked while passing through this strategically important waterway, while the US responded with a series of bombings against Iranian targets.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that one crew member of the container ship M/V GFS Galaxy is missing following the attack. British maritime security authorities announced that, because of the fire on board, the crew was forced to abandon the vessel and was later rescued by the responsible authorities.

The Iranian navy said it had initially fired warning shots at the ship, claiming it was moving along an unauthorized route and had switched off its position identification system. Iranian media later reported that the ship had been hit by a cruise missile after ignoring the orders of the Iranian authorities.

Following this incident, the US carried out another wave of airstrikes, the third this week. According to CENTCOM, American forces struck around 140 Iranian military targets using precision munitions launched from fighter jets, drones and naval assets.

Among the targets hit were missile bases, drone positions, naval capabilities, ammunition depots, communication networks and coastal surveillance systems.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran “made a bad choice” when it attacked a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz and that it is “now paying the price.”

CENTCOM said that more than 300 Iranian targets have been hit in the last three operations, with the aim of weakening Tehran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most important maritime corridors. The American command also said that since the beginning of May it has helped ensure the safe passage of more than 800 commercial ships and around 400 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, after the American bombings, explosions were reported in several places in the region, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

On the other hand, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it had struck a military base in Jordan, from where, according to it, American MQ-9 drones operate. It further announced that it had also attacked a second ship in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar with ballistic missiles.

According to Iranian claims, the attack caused damage to the fighter jet maintenance center and to a command structure. The Revolutionary Guard also said it had carried out an attack on the support platforms of a US aircraft carrier at the port of Duqm in Oman, in what it described as the third phase of its response to American military actions.

The claims of both sides regarding the damage caused remain unverified.