U.S. launches airstrikes against Iran after Tehran attacks container ship in Hormuz, Pentagon says

The U.S. military has launched a third round of airstrikes against Iran, Central Command said in a statement. The strikes are in response to an Iranian attack on a containership transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Centcom said. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard said it has closed the strait to all ship traffic "until further notice," according to the state news outlet PressTV.

President Donald Trump ordered renewed airstrikes against Iran on Saturday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a commercial ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said in a statement. The M/V GFS Galaxy, a container ship sailing under the flag of Cyprus, is unable to continue its journey after the Iranian attack caused an onboard fire and significant damage to the vessel's engine room, U.S. Central Command said. A civilian crew member is missing, Centcom said.

"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," Centcom said in a social media post. The Revolutionary Guard said it has closed Hormuz to all ship traffic "until further notice," according to the Iranian state news outlet PressTV. "No vessel will be permitted to transit the strait," the Guard said in a statement published by PressTV.

The airstrikes on Saturday are the third time the U.S. has bombed Iran this week in retaliation for attacks on commercial vessels transiting Hormuz. Iran has attacked ships that are using a southern route along Oman's coast protected by the U.S. military. Tehran is demanding that vessels use a northern route through its terr...