Iran Announces Full Closure of Strait of Hormuz After Attacking Merchant Vessel; U.S. Launches Retaliatory Airstrikes

[Anchor]

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has announced a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz following an attack on a merchant vessel passing through the area. The United States immediately launched airstrikes targeting key military facilities in southern Iran.

Reported by Yu Deok-gi.

[Reporter]

On July 12, local time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran declared a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The reason cited for the closure is that merchant vessels, allegedly instigated by foreign powers—namely the United States—attempted to pass through unauthorized routes, thereby destabilizing the strait.

Along with this announcement, the Revolutionary Guard disclosed that it had fired warning shots at a merchant vessel that attempted to force its way through the strait.

The damaged vessel is a Cyprus-flagged container ship. It is reported that one crew member is missing following the Iranian attack, and the ship is currently unable to sail due to a fire that caused severe damage to the engine room.

The United States immediately initiated retaliatory airstrikes against Iran.

The U.S. Central Command, which confirmed the airstrikes against Iran, stated that "Iran had another opportunity to uphold the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) but has once again failed to do so," adding that they are making Iran pay a heavy price.

Iranian local media reported a series of explosions, believed to be caused by U.S. military bombing, in areas including Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Asaluyeh, Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, and Sirik in southern Iran.

Citing U.S. officials, the American online media outlet Axios reported that the targets of the U.S. airstrikes included Iranian air and ground surveillance radars, as well as missile and drone launch bases.

As armed clashes between the United States and Iran over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz continue to repeat, concerns are growing that the situation could revert to the state before the previous MOU.

Before the clash occurred today (July 12), Iran and Oman held a foreign ministerial meeting to discuss measures to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

It is reported that during the meeting, Oman proposed a plan to divide and manage the routes, separating the northern route controlled by Iran and the southern route passing through Omani territorial waters.

(Video Editing: Kim Byeong-jik)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.