Iran says it struck ships in Strait of Hormuz after US launches new strikes

Lead

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has struck ships in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after the United States launched a new wave of strikes on Iran. The escalation follows President Donald Trump's warning that Iran would be hit "hard" and that Tehran had taken "too long to make a deal" to end the war, as reported by the BBC and Al Jazeera.

Coverage Comparison

The two outlets covering the story, BBC and Al Jazeera, both frame the events as a continuation of tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran, testing a fragile ceasefire agreed in April. The BBC's lead emphasizes Iran's response to US strikes, while Al Jazeera's lead focuses on the US strikes and Iran's subsequent declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Both attribute the escalation to US strikes prompting Iranian retaliation, though Al Jazeera's tone is slightly more critical of US actions, using language such as "renewed strikes" and "aggression."

Key Claims

According to both outlets, the US military launched new strikes on Iran, with US Central Command (Centcom) saying it began "self-defense strikes" on Wednesday in response to what it called "Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression." President Trump, writing on Truth Social, said Iranian leaders had "taken too long to negotiate a deal," and earlier told reporters that the US would hit Iran "very hard," according to Al Jazeera.

Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island and in the cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as blasts in the southern city of Kargan, which wounded at least two people, per Al Jazeera. The IRGC accused the US of "repeated violations" of the April ceasefire and said it had struck two oil tankers "attempting to illegally pass through the strait," as reported by Al Jazeera.

Iranian state media declared the Strait of Hormuz "completely closed to all type of vessel," according to the BBC. However, Centcom said "commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz," as reported by the BBC. Al Jazeera reported that the IRGC said the strait would be "closed until further notice," affecting all traffic including oil tankers, and firmly rejected US claims that it had helped ships pass through.

Oil prices rose following the announcement of the closure, with Brent crude oil climbing above $95 a barrel after rising by about 2% during morning trade in Asia, according to the BBC.

In a separate development, India summoned the US envoy over an attack on a ship carrying Indian sailors off Oman, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Perspectives

United States: Centcom described the strikes as "self-defense strikes" in response to "Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression." President Trump said the US would hit Iran "hard" and that Tehran had taken "too long to make a deal," according to both outlets.

Iran: The IRGC accused the US of "repeated violations" of the April ceasefire and said the Strait of Hormuz was closed. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran "will stand firm against any pressure or threat," while the Iranian foreign ministry accused the US of "damaging the diplomatic process through the contradictory messages it sends," as reported by the BBC.