The US military announced it has launched airstrikes against Iran following reports of explosions in several locations in the south of the country, escalating tensions in the strategic waterway.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes began on Tuesday and are being conducted “in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” a vital chokepoint for global oil shipments.
Iranian media reported multiple explosions in the southern port city of Sirik, as well as on Qeshm Island and in Bandar Abbas, with no immediate casualty figures released.
In response, Iran’s foreign ministry held the US government responsible for the consequences of breaching a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in June, which was allegedly designed to end the war the US and Israel purportedly began against Iran in late February. The MoU supposedly mandated lifting the US naval blockade on Iran in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The US regime also agreed at the end of June to waive sanctions on Iranian oil for 60 days, but the Treasury Department on Tuesday moved to revoke that temporary suspension after a tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
A Qatari LNG tanker caught fire off the coast of Oman on Monday after being struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Iranian television claimed the tanker was attacked after ignoring warnings, but Tehran did not directly claim responsibility.
A second vessel, a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker, was also damaged in the Strait of Hormuz when the IRGC allegedly fired missiles, sources told Reuters.
A US official warned that Iran’s attacks on vessels were “wholly unacceptable” and would be met with consequences, Reuters reported Tuesday, though the official did not specify further actions.
Iran’s foreign ministry stated it would take any measure deemed necessary to safeguard the country’s interests and national security, raising fears of further escalation in the region.
Source: www.aljazeera.com