The United States and Iran exchanged strikes for a second consecutive night into Thursday, escalating a military confrontation that began when President Donald Trump announced 'major combat operations' against Iran on Feb. 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites. A U.S. official told ABC News that initial assessments indicated American forces intercepted nearly all missiles and drones launched by Iran on Wednesday night, with no reports of harm to U.S. personnel or major damage at U.S. bases.

U.S. Central Command confirmed its forces struck a third commercial vessel this week, firing two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Guinea-Bissau-flagged oil tanker M/T Jalveer in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday after the crew allegedly failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces. The strike followed similar actions against the Palau-flagged vessels M/T Marivex and M/T Settebello earlier in the week. Three Indian sailors aboard the Settebello were killed in Tuesday's strike, a development India's shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal described as 'deeply unfortunate,' with the ministry confirming the recovery of the sailors' bodies.

CENTCOM said its forces have disabled nine non-compliant vessels, redirected 135 ships that complied with blockade orders and allowed 42 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass since the blockade began on April 13. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre separately confirmed a fire in the engine room of a tanker roughly 20 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman, with local authorities reporting no casualties or environmental damage in connection with that incident.

The confrontation follows a failed attempt at diplomatic resolution. Initial U.S.-Iran talks held in Pakistan in April did not produce a peace deal, after which Trump announced an open-ended extension of a ceasefire along with continuation of the naval blockade until negotiations conclude 'one way or the other.' The broader conflict began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes in late February targeting Iranian military, government and infrastructure sites.

In a significant escalation with potential global economic consequences, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority — a newly created Iranian entity established to manage shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and collect transit fees — announced on Friday that the strait would be closed 'until further notice.' The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical oil shipping chokepoints, and its closure threatens to disrupt global energy markets and international commerce.