US attacks Iran after tanker attack in Strait of Hormuz
The US has launched a new attack on Iran following the tanker attack in the Strait of Hormuz, and tensions over shipping and oil enforcement are rising.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he believes the ceasefire between the two countries is over following recent retaliatory attacks between the United States and Iran, throwing the status of a preliminary agreement to end the conflict and a broader peace process into uncertain territory.
“I think it’s over for me. I don’t want anything to do with them,” Trump said at the NATO summit. “They’re scum. They’re sick. They’re led by sick people, and they’re evil, violent people.”
Trump added: “As far as I’m concerned, dealing with them is a waste of time.”
President Trump’s comments came hours after Iran announced it was targeting U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. The attack came after the United States launched an offensive against Iran in retaliation for a ship attack in the Strait of Hormuz that U.S. officials say was a violation of the ceasefire.
U.S. Central Command said it launched the attack on Iran to “impose significant costs by targeting and attacking commercial vessels manned by innocent civilians in international waterways.”
“Iran’s demonstrated aggression is unwarranted, dangerous and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” Centcom said.
The United States also revoked permits to sell oil to Iran in response to a series of attacks on commercial vessels for which the Iranian regime has not taken responsibility.
The continuing conflict around the straits and the escalating US response have highlighted the precarious state of peace negotiations. U.S. and Iranian officials signed an interim peace agreement in June to end the war that began on February 28. The memorandum called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the start of further negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and US sanctions.
Contributor: Zach Anderson, Reuters
