US completes third round of strikes against Iran: CENTCOM

The US said late Saturday it completed a third round of military strikes against Iran this week following another Iranian attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces struck about 140 Iranian military targets using precision-guided munitions launched from land- and sea-based fighter aircraft, drones and naval vessels.

The targets included missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, communication networks and coastal surveillance positions, it said.

"During three nights of strikes this week, CENTCOM has struck more than 300 targets at the direction of the Commander in Chief to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the strait," CENTCOM said in a statement.

It said commercial shipping continues to move through the Strait of Hormuz despite the military operations.

Since early May, US forces have helped facilitate the transit of more than 800 commercial vessels carrying 400 million barrels of crude oil through the strategic waterway, according to CENTCOM.

The latest strikes followed an attack that the US said was carried out by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against the commercial cargo ship M/V GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington said the vessel was hit by a missile, leaving one civilian crew member missing and causing significant damage. The IRGC said, however, that it fired only a "warning shot" after the ship failed to alter course. Iran later announced the closure of the strategic waterway "until further notice," as diplomatic efforts in Muscat to ease tensions failed to produce an agreement.