The US has launched retaliatory strikes against Iran after it fired a missile at a cargo ship attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. 

The Cyprus-flagged container ship sustained heavy damage after it was targeted on Saturday, US Central Command said on X.

A civilian crew member was still missing after the ‘blatant’ attack, which forced the ship to stop its journey, authorities said.  

‘Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed,’ US Central Command added.  

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth vowed revenge for the strike and said: ‘Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.’ 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) declared the strait closed until further notice after the attack, according to a statement cited by CNN.

‘Given the precariousness that was caused by this unlawful interference by outside parties, the Strait of Hormuz is to be closed until further notice and until regional interference by the US ceases,’ the statement read. ‘No vessel or naval craft will be allowed to pass.’

As the US retaliated, several Middle Eastern countries urged their residents to stay inside, with Qatar announcing it had intercepted a missile attack and Iran taking responsibility for strikes in Jordan.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice after firing a missile at a cargo ship, with the US subsequently launching retaliatory strikes

President Trump said Friday that the US had agreed to continue negotiating with Iran but ‘that the Cease Fire is OVER!’ 

The vessel, which American authorities named as the M/V GFS Galaxy, was attempting to use an unauthorized route to cross the waterway, the IRGC claimed. 

The US military’s strikes on Saturday night, which began around 7.15pm Eastern time, marked the third round against Iran this week.

Some of the targets attacked by US forces included air surveillance radars, missile and drone storage, missile and drone launch sites, surface surveillance radars and surface to air missile launchers, according to Axios’ Barak Ravid.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had met with his Omani counterpart on Saturday to discuss the strait given the recent tension.

Araghchi explained that the meeting in Muscat, Oman, was meant to discuss ‘appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the safe passage of ships,’ according to the Associated Press.

Omani and Iranian negotiators were set to continue talks ‘at the technical and political levels,’ Reuters reported, citing Oman’s state news agency.

Explosions have been reported in southern Iran in the port cites of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, according to Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster, as per Al Jazeera.

At least 12 explosions have reportedly been heard in different parts of the Bushehr province, which homes the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. 

No casualties had been reported as of early Saturday night, according to Ehsan Jahanian, the province’s deputy governor for political, security and social affairs. 

The IRGC said the Strait of Hormuz would be closed ‘until regional interference by the US ceases’

The US had already launched retaliatory strikes on Iran earlier this week after three ships were hit in the strait

More than 10 explosions were heard in the port city of Jask, according to the outlet, citing the IRNA news agency. 

Blasts have also been heard in Chabahar, Bandar-e Deyr and Asaluyeh, the outlet added.  Other explosions have been reported near Konarak and Chabahar.

Iran said it had targeted US military facilities at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan with several missiles, according to Al Jazeera, citing the IRIB state broadcaster.

The IRGC claimed its aerospace forces had destroyed a command-and-control center at the base and hangars with MQ-9 drones. 

The United Arab Emirates said its air defenses were ‘engaging’ with incoming missiles and drone attacks from Iran, according to Al Jazeera. 

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said that a missile attack had been intercepted, though it did not give further details. The country’s Ministry of Interior had urged everyone to remain inside their homes or in safe places.

Additionally, Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior activated air raid sirens and directed locals to head to the nearest safe place, it said on X. 

On Friday, President Trump said on Truth Social that he had agreed to continue negotiating with Iran but insisted ‘that the Cease Fire is OVER!’ 

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei released a written statement the following day, vowing to ‘avenge the blood of the martyred leader and ​all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers,’ per Reuters. 

‘Whether we ​are there or not, this will be accomplished, and soon every free person around ​the world will fulfill a part of this divine mission,’ Khamenei’s statement read.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (pictured) had traveled to Oman on Saturday to discuss ‘appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the safe passage of ships’ through the strait

Khamenei has not been seen since he was appointed Supreme Leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, when the war started.

Earlier this week, the US had already retaliated against Iran on Wednesday after three ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz. 

The ships included a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker, as well as a Saudi crude oil tanker, according to Al Jazeera. 

As part of that attack, American forces hit about 90 military targets, including at least 60 IRGC boats.

‘US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief,’ a Central Command statement at the time said. 

The Strait of Hormuz, which consists of a narrow passage of water between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is a vital part of the global economy.

Around a fifth of the world’s traded oil flowed through the strait every day prior to the ongoing war.

But as oil exports go down because of the tensions in the strait, the price of gas has largely risen around the world, putting a strain on customers’ wallets.

The Daily Mail reached out to the White House for comment.