According to reports, US Central Command stated on the 11th that at 7:15 PM Eastern Time that evening, the US military initiated the third round of strikes against Iran this week.
The statement said that earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a Cyprus-flagged container ship sailing in the Strait of Hormuz. The attack left one crew member missing, a fire broke out on the ship, the engine room was severely damaged, and the vessel was unable to continue its voyage.
Earlier, Iranian sources reported explosions in Bushehr and Asaluyeh in southern Iran.
In the early hours of the 12th, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced the immediate closure of the Strait of Hormuz, prohibiting any vessels from passing through.
The statement said that Iran had previously warned that foreign interference in Strait of Hormuz affairs or the illegal designation of shipping routes would face “resolute action.” Given the unsafe situation caused by illegal foreign intervention, the Strait of Hormuz is closed effective immediately until further notice and until the US ceases its interference in the region.
The statement added that hours earlier, several vessels attempted to navigate along unauthorized routes, ignoring Iran’s warnings and instructions to correct their course. One of the ships, which had disabled its automatic identification system, was hit by warning shots from Iran and stopped.
The statement also warned that if the US uses this incident as a pretext to launch new attacks on Iran, Iran will respond fiercely, targeting more US bases in the Middle East.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba’s social media account posted a statement on the 11th, saying that they would seek “revenge” for the late Supreme Leader Khamenei and the victims of the “two recent wars.”
The “two wars” mentioned in Mojtaba’s statement refer to the conflicts the US and Israel launched against Iran in June of last year and February of this year.
Mojtaba said the Iranian people will defend the ideas of the late Supreme Leader Khamenei and carry on his legacy. He added that revenge is the demand and will of the Iranian people and must be achieved.
On July 11, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on social media, stating that those responsible for the death of Ali Khamenei will be held accountable.
Ghalibaf emphasized that those who attacked Iranian territory and killed Iranian figures, especially those responsible for the death of Ali Khamenei, will surely be punished.
On the 9th, the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was held in his birthplace, the northeastern city of Mashhad.