US launches fresh strikes as Iran closes Strait of Hormuz
The US has launched a third round of military strikes against Iranian targets following an attack on a Cyprus-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded by closing the waterway and striking US-allied bases in the region, escalating tensions significantly.
Why it matters
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the exchange of fire between the US and Iran pose a major threat to global oil supplies and regional stability.
The photo released on July 21, 2019 shows the British oil tanker "Stena Impero" near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran. (Morteza Akhoundi/ISNA/Handout via Xinhua)
The US said it launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran after Tehran struck a ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it closed the waterway until further notice and warned of a severe response to US "aggression", according to state media.
Within hours of the US strikes, the IRGC said they had hit a US base in Jordan, while the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain were all responding to missiles and drones from Iran.
It comes after incidents earlier this week in which three commercial tankers were attacked, prompting an exchange of strikes with the US.
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