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(Bloomberg) — The US launched its third round of strikes on Iran this week as Tehran declared that it’s closing the Strait of Hormuz “until further notice.”
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US Central Command said that President Donald Trump ordered the fresh strikes, which targeted Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels, after Iranian forces attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship.
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Iran’s state-run media reported explosions at multiple areas along the country’s southern coasts, including the energy and petrochemical hubs of Bushehr and Asalouyeh. Blasts were also reported at the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar-e Dayyer, as well as the Sirik area near the Strait of Hormuz.
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“Iran made a poor choice,” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on social media. “Now they pay.”
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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the Hormuz closure, saying it won’t allow any vessels to pass through until foreign interference ends, according to state-run IRIB News. The IRGC said it halted a cargo ship after firing a warning shot because it tried to transit the strait on Saturday despite being told not to, the outlet added.
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Central Command said a civilian crew member is missing and the ship was unable to continue its journey after suffering significant damage.
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The developments cast significant doubts over the potential for talks aimed at trying to reach a more lasting peace deal. The rhetoric had been getting more heated on both sides in recent days even as the two parties had suggested there was still room for conversations.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Oman on Saturday for talks on the future of Hormuz, but there was no sign of involvement by senior US envoys.
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Earlier, Iran demanded that the US implement key commitments under a recent deal before more talks take place, rejecting Trump’s contention that negotiations could continue without a ceasefire. Tehran said Washington must meet Iran’s conditions for resolving transit issues through the Strait of Hormuz and normalizing its oil exports.
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On Friday, Trump had threatened to shower Iran with “1000 Missiles” if it acted on a threat to kill the US leader, “in this case, ME!”
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The US had also demanded that Iran publicly declare all channels of the Hormuz open to shipping and pledge not to attack civilian vessels transiting the waterway. Tehran would face consequences if it fails to deliver the public assurance, senior Trump administration officials told reporters on condition of anonymity.
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Those demands followed several days of US airstrikes and Iranian retaliation that sent oil prices higher this week.
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The Islamic Republic is holding a three-day memorial ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a days-long funeral that drew large crowds to cities in Iran and neighboring Iraq. Khamenei was killed in an attack as the US and Israel began their war on Iran at the end of February.
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His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Saturday called for revenge for the killing of his father.
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“It is our certain and undeniable duty that this revenge be carried out,” he said in a post on X.
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(Updates with details on blasts, Hegseth post starting in third paragraph)
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English (US)