The US military launched “powerful strikes” against Iran on Tuesday in response to Tehran’s attacks on three commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, which American officials view as violations of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
“US Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway,” the combatant command said in a statement.
“The US strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” it added.
An Iranian state-run media outlet reported several explosions being heard near the coastal city of Sirik and on the island of Qeshm in southern Iran, according to Al Jazeera.
The last round of US military strikes in Iran took place late last month, in response to the regime’s drone attack against a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites were hit by US warplanes in the June 26 airstrikes.
CENTCOM’s latest announcement came shortly after the US revoked a waiver of Iranian oil sanctions, which Tehran won as part of the MOU.
Follow The Post’s coverage on the latest in the peace deal with Iran:
- US revoking Iran’s license to sell oil after ‘wholly unacceptable’ attacks in Strait of Hormuz
- Trump weighs restarting war with Iran, but sticking with peace talks for now: report
- Powerful Iranian clerics call for assassination of Trump, Netanyahu: ‘Send them to hell’
- Iran hasn’t received $6B in frozen funds — and won’t until Tehran meets ‘milestones,’ US official tells The Post
For its part, the Iranian regime had pledged to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and stop attacking ships transiting the key waterway, which it has not done.
Iran fired on a Qatar-flagged tanker on Tuesday after attacking two tankers from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Monday night.
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Each caused damage, with the projectiles sparking fires onboard.
“Iran’s actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and will be met with consequences,” a US official told The Post.
US negotiators, however, “continue to work in good faith towards a final deal,” the official noted.
The US strikes come as President Trump attends a NATO summit in Turkey, where he praised the Turks for assisting with the Iran conflict while condemning the leaders of the UK, Italy, Germany and France for refusing base access to attack Iran and balking at helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
