U.S. Launches Third Round of Massive Strikes on Iran as Strait of Hormuz Closes

The conflict between the United States and Iran escalated sharply Saturday night as the U.S. military launched a third round of massive air strikes, targeting 140 sites across Iran. The operation, authorized by President Trump, targeted Iranian logistics infrastructure, including two railway bridges in the northeast and over 80 sites near the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes follow Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) decision to close the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice" after an attack on the Cyprus-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy, which left one crew member missing and the vessel disabled. The military escalation has effectively terminated a short-lived ceasefire. President Trump warned that U.S. forces are prepared to respond at "levels they’ve never seen" if threats against U.S. leadership persist, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Iran will "pay" for its choices. In retaliation, Iran claimed to have targeted dozens of U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. The closure of the waterway has sent shockwaves through energy markets, as the strait serves as a conduit for approximately 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade. On the diplomatic front, technical talks in Oman have reportedly ended without a breakthrough. Negotiators from Qatar and Oman were unable to bridge the gap between Washington’s demand for free navigation and Tehran’s insistence on regulating maritime traffic and charging passage fees. As of Sunday, approximately 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the region, and U.S. officials have reportedly issued an ultimatum for Iran to apologize for the actions that triggered the renewed hostitilies.