The United States has announced another round of early-morning strikes on Iran, as the two sides continue to exchange attacks over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the latest barrage was designed to degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships.
“At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable.”
Iranian state media reported explosions near the Strait of Hormuz, including in Sirik, Qeshm Island, Jask, and west of Bandar Abbas. The governorate of Hormozgan province said no civilian casualties have been reported so far.
Sunday's attacks are the latest in a new escalation that began on July 7. Three rounds of strikes occurred in the past week alone, including Saturday night when CENTCOM said it struck roughly 140 Iranian military targets, including drone, missile, ammunition, surveillance and naval sites.
Iran has responded with counterattacks against US military installations across the Middle East, including in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. The exchange has deepened questions about a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last month, which called for an “immediate and permanent” halt to hostilities.
A key sticking point has been the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the world's oil and gas flowed before the war. Under the MOU, Iran was to make “best efforts” to allow commercial traffic through the strait for 60 days. However, Iran has recently fired drones at container ships and tankers, claiming sovereignty violations.
The Trump administration views these drone strikes as a violation of the MOU and has responded with military force. CENTCOM cited an attack on the Cyprus-flagged ship M/V GFS Galaxy, which left a crew member missing, as a reason for Saturday's intense strikes.
Iran said Saturday it has again closed the Strait of Hormuz to traffic, while the US maintains it remains open. President Trump wrote on Friday that he considers the ceasefire “over” but indicated talks would continue. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both sides to exercise “maximum restraint.”
Source: www.aljazeera.com