Washington/Tehran, 12 July (H.S.): The United States has announced a third round of military strikes against Iran this week after accusing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of attacking a commercial cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that reportedly left one civilian crew member missing and caused severe damage to the ship.

According to Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement posted on the social media platform X that American forces had initiated fresh military operations against Iran in response to the alleged attack on the commercial cargo vessel M/V GFS Galaxy. The US military said the operation began at approximately 7:15 p.m. local time on Saturday.

CENTCOM stated that the vessel's engine room sustained extensive damage in the attack, triggering a fire that rendered the ship incapable of continuing its voyage. The statement added that one member of the civilian crew remains missing.

In a separate report, a US official alleged that the IRGC fired a missile at the cargo ship as it attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz, causing significant damage to the vessel.

The incident comes just one day after the Trump administration publicly called on Iran to guarantee the safe passage of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, describing such assurances as a key condition for easing tensions between the two countries.

Earlier on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and Qatari officials met in Muscat, the capital of Oman, to discuss efforts aimed at reducing regional tensions. According to a diplomat familiar with the discussions, Oman proposed fully reopening both shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and restoring unrestricted navigation through the southern channel.

However, the diplomat said the Iranian delegation did not immediately agree to the proposal and returned to Tehran for further consultations.

Meanwhile, the IRGC said it had previously warned several vessels against using what it described as an unauthorised shipping route. The organisation claimed that after the cargo ship ignored those warnings, its forces fired only warning shots.

The IRGC also announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until further notice and until US military intervention in the region ends, adding that no vessel would be permitted to pass through the strategic waterway.

CENTCOM maintained that Iran had previously been given opportunities to comply with international maritime security arrangements but had failed to do so. The US military said the ongoing operation is intended to degrade Iran's capabilities to carry out attacks against civilians and commercial shipping.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar