Status › Incidents › 2026-07-12
Iran's IRGC strikes Cyprus-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy in the Strait of Hormuz; crew member missing, US launches third round of strikes
· Strait of Hormuz · GFS Galaxy (Cyprus-flagged container ship) · severity CRITICAL
US Central Command said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 'blatantly attacked' the M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz — the vessel caught fire with significant engine-room damage, is unable to continue its voyage, and a civilian crew member is missing. UKMTO reported the incident about 9 nautical miles off the coast of Oman, with a fire at the rear of the ship. Iran's IRGC navy characterised it via Telegram as one of several 'warning shots' fired at ships on an 'unauthorised route,' and Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed 'until further notice.' In response CENTCOM launched a third round of strikes this week (reported at ~140 Iranian targets). A new confirmed strike on a commercial vessel after the 6-7 July attacks — the verified gauge remains SEVERE. NOTE: the closure is an Iranian declaration; UKMTO, NAVCENT and JMIC report the southern (Omani-coast) route remains available, now expanded to two-way traffic.
Primary source: US Central Command / UKMTO / The Hill / CNBC
This page is an editorial record of a Strait of Hormuz incident logged by the PGSA.IO independent observatory. We do not paraphrase operational advisories that vessels make routing decisions on; consult the primary source above and your flag-state, P&I, and UKMTO channels for any operational use.