U.S. Central Command forces said they struck Iran at 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday, the third such strike this week, after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces attacked a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM Details Tanker Attack, Hegseth Responds
CENTCOM said in an X post that IRGC “forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz.” A crew member is missing, and the vessel is disabled by fire and engine-room damage, CENTCOM said.
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. A civilian crew…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 11, 2026
Responding to CENTCOM’s post, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X, “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.”
Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay. https://t.co/8m4fEfgrXv
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) July 11, 2026
Iran Shuts Key Waterway, Warns of Retaliation
Prior to CENTCOM’s announcement, Iran’s IRGC released a statement saying it closed the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel traveled on an unapproved route and was struck, warning that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response.” It said a vessel that had jeopardized maritime security by switching off its systems was struck and brought to a halt.
The statement added that several ships attempted to move through the waterway on an “unauthorised route” and disregarded warnings to correct their course.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei separately said that avenging his slain father and predecessor was “the demand of the nation,” prompting President Donald Trump to warn on Truth Social that “1,000 missiles are Locked and Loaded” if Iran acts on threats against him.
Sanctions, Talks Deadlock Add to Uncertainty
The U.S. Treasury on Friday imposed fresh sanctions on an Iranian financial facilitator and exchange houses tied to sanctioned banks, prompting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to accuse Washington of violating the memorandum.
Iran has since rejected restarting talks unless the U.S. “first retreats from its current positions.”
On Saturday, London-based outlet Iran International reported that Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, cited an unnamed political source disputing an Axios report on Qatar’s role in talks over the strait’s future. The source said only Iran and Oman would decide the matter, citing Article 5 of the Islamabad memorandum.
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