Washington:Three merchant ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States launched a series of “powerful strikes” against Iran early Wednesday, the latest exchange of fire to threaten the interim deal to end the fighting between the two countries.US officials said the strikes were expected to target a variety of military sites and port facilities.
The latest attacks were always going to make negotiations to fully re-open the strait, roll back Tehran's controversial nuclear programme and achieve a permanent end to the war launched on February 28 more difficult.
The military is hitting Iranian air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, ground-to-air missiles and launch sites for anti-ship cruise missiles and drones, one U.S. official said. Iranian port facilities too are being targeted, the official added.
What did the US military say?"The military strikes were conducted to impose significant costs on those targeting and attacking commercial shipping manned by innocent civilians in an international waterway," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X. "“CENTCOM forces have launched a series of powerful strikes against Iran to exact heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway,” CENTCOM said.
CENTCOM said the strikes took place after Iran attacked three commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.The US strikes are in retaliation for Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. "Iran's demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous and a clear violation of the ceasefire," it added.
Explosions heard in parts of IranIran’s Fars news agency reported several explosions were heard near Sirik and Qeshm in southern Iran, according to Al Jazeera. Iranian state media also reported blasts east and west of Bandar Abbas while local media reported multiple explosions at Sirik port after projectiles hit commercial and fishing piers.
Late last month, there was a similar wave of Iranian attacks on shipping and US retaliation, while the new strikes were notable for occurring while President Donald Trump was in Turkey for a summit of the NATO military alliance.
US revokes Iran oil licenceThe US has revoked a licence allowing the sale of Iranian oil under the interim deal to stop fighting between the US and Iran, hours after three tankers were struck by projectiles.
The new attacks in the fuel-shipping waterway were the most in a day since late April, the UN International Maritime Organization said. The new attacks threatened to choke off the flow of traffic in the strait just as countries hoped to restore normal shipping practices and ease the global economic strain of the war.
The US official said the license was revoked because Iran's actions in the strait were unacceptable and needed to have consequences. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the rationale behind the move.
The US licence permitted the production, delivery and sale of Iranian oil through August 21
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