The US has launched new strikes on Iran following a drone attack on a Panama-flagged vessel, MT Kiku, in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. US Central Command (Centcom) stated that multiple targets were hit across Iran as a direct response to ongoing aggression against commercial shipping.<\/p>\n
Centcom indicated that the strikes targeted military equipment, communication systems, air defense sites, and drone storage facilities. The statement emphasized that Iran had the opportunity to honor a ceasefire agreement but chose to attack the vessel instead.<\/p>\n
"Iran was given a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement but elected not to when its forces launched a one-way attack drone that hit MT Kiku," Centcom noted.<\/p>\n
Commercial vessels continue to operate in the Strait of Hormuz, although Iran has not yet commented on the recent US strikes. This action follows earlier US retaliatory strikes on June 25, which were in response to a drone attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship, MV Ever Lovely.<\/p>\n
Centcom described these earlier strikes as "a powerful response" to the aggression against commercial shipping, asserting that such actions by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire.<\/p>\n
In response to the attack on MV Ever Lovely, Tehran claimed that the cargo ship was targeted for using an unauthorized route through the Gulf waterway. Iranian officials have characterized the US strikes as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.<\/p>\n
Iran's foreign ministry stated that it had conducted further strikes against targets linked to American forces, blaming the "treaty-breaking US regime" for escalating tensions.<\/p>\n
The US and Iran had agreed on June 17 to end hostilities under a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which included provisions for Iran to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels without charge for 60 days.<\/p>\n
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway for oil and gas shipments, and its effective closure by Tehran in response to US and Israeli attacks at the end of February led to a spike in global oil prices.<\/p>\n
Recent discussions between Iranian and Omani officials in Muscat focused on the future management of navigation in the Strait.<\/p>\n
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi stated that both countries were committed to "toll-free safe passage." However, Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that the administration of the Strait of Hormuz would not revert to pre-war conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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