The US military has launched a series of strikes against Iran, US Central Command said early today, adding that the strikes were in response to what it said were Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“US Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping,” a US military statement said.
“Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” it added.
It was unclear what specifically the US targeted but Iranian media said six projectiles hit the area of Taheroui pier in Sirik in southern Iran.
This marks the first known US military strikes against Iran since late last month, when there were several days of strikes and counterstrikes between the two.
The United States last night it is revoking a general licence authorising the sale of Iranian oil.
A US official warned of consequences over Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz after the attacks on tankers in the strategic waterway.
The incidents were only the latest to threaten the fragile ceasefire that the US and Iran struck last month, pausing the conflict that started in February with US and Israeli strikes across the Islamic republic. In a potentially major blow to that agreement, Washington moved to withdraw a key concession that had allowed Iran to sell oil on international markets.
Under last month’s interim US-Iran agreement, the Treasury issued a June 22 general licence to allow the sale of crude oil and petrochemical and petroleum products of Iranian origin through August 21. In revoking that licence last night, it gave Iran until July 17 to wind down any transactions.
Qatar blamed Iran for attacking the vessels, including the huge Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker, the Al Rekayyat, which reported being struck overnight by a drone that caused a fire in its engine room. The crew were safe and being evacuated.
A Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker, believed to be the supertanker Wedyan, was also damaged off Oman, maritime security sources said. The cause was not immediately clear.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said it had summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador and handed him a protest note following the attack on the tanker.
The war has been paused under the interim peace deal reached last month, intended to provide a 60-day period for negotiations on a permanent deal. A round of indirect talks in Qatar ended last week with no sign of headway towards a lasting peace.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to resume bombing, most recently on Monday when he told reporters in the Oval Office: “We’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to finish the job..... We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply.”
In launching the war four months ago, Trump said his aims were to destroy Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, end its ability to threaten its neighbours and create conditions for Iranians to topple their leaders.
None of those goals has been met, although Washington says a permanent deal will halt what it says is an Iranian programme that could make a nuclear bomb, which Iran says it never sought.
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