Clashes erupted early Thursday between Iranian and U.S. forces in the waters of the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, as Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran's main military command, announced the full closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Initial reports indicated that U.S. ships near the Strait of Hormuz were targeted by missiles and drones launched by Iranian armed forces.
Blasts were also heard in the counties of Sirik and Minab and the port city of Bandar Abbas, all in Hormozgan province, as well as on Qeshm and Hengam islands, while air defense systems were activated west of the capital Tehran and in the southern province of Fars, the semi-official Mehr news agency said.
Following the incidents, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the Strait of Hormuz has been closed to all kinds of vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships, owing to security threats in the waterway.
The headquarters cited the continuation of the U.S. "malicious acts" and attacks earlier in the day in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, saying any vessel trying to pass through the strait will be targeted.
The developments followed an announcement by the U.S. Central Command on social media platform X, stating its forces had begun launching "additional self-defense strikes" against multiple targets in Iran in response to what it called Iran's "unwarranted and continued aggression."
-XINHUA
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