U.S. Central Command said the attack was launched to “impose significant costs in targeting and attacking commercial shipping.”
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.
The US military launched a new offensive against Iran on July 7 in retaliation for attacks on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This is what US officials say is a violation of the ceasefire.
US Central Command said the airstrikes were launched 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 US also revoked Iran’s oil sales license in response to attacks on commercial ships, but Iran 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 a preliminary peace deal last month 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 sanctions.
The United States also waived Iran the right to sell oil on world markets, a major concession that provided the country with an economic lifeline.
But the two countries continue to fight over the strait, and uncertainty persists over the vital shipping route, which transported 20% of the world’s oil before the war. Since the peace agreement was signed, the United States has launched multiple military strikes against Iran in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Iranian Straits.
Previous US strikes on June 26 and June 27 targeted Iranian military infrastructure, including air defense facilities and drone storage sites. CENTCOM has not provided details about the targets of the July 7 strike.
President Donald Trump warned after last month’s airstrikes that Iran continues to violate a ceasefire that has been in place since April.
President Trump said on Truth Social on June 27, “There may come a time when we can no longer be rational and we will be forced to finish militarily the job we have successfully begun. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”
Tensions threaten to collapse peace talks that progressed last week despite previous retaliatory attacks. The two sides held indirect negotiations through an intermediary in Doha, Qatar.
President Trump told reporters that negotiators had “a very good meeting.”
But as the war continues to escalate, the Trump administration is taking a more robust approach to Iran, combining economic and military action. The price of a barrel of Brent crude rose to nearly $76, an increase of nearly 6%, after the regime revoked Iran’s oil license.
Contributor: Joey Garrison, Reuters
