Web Desk: The United States launched a new wave of military strikes against Iran and revoked a temporary licence that had allowed Iranian oil sales after three commercial vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, significantly escalating tensions and placing a fragile ceasefire at risk.
The US military said the action was taken in response to attacks targeting commercial ships transiting one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces carried out coordinated strikes designed to impose what it described as “heavy costs” on Iran for attacking commercial shipping operated by civilian crews in international waters.
“US Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
Hours later, the command announced that the operation had concluded, saying more than 80 targets had been struck.
According to CENTCOM, the attacks hit Iranian air defence systems, command-and-control infrastructure, coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile capabilities and more than 60 small boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Iran launched retaliatory attacks within hours of the US operation, prompting heightened security measures across the Gulf.
Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, activated missile warning sirens, while Kuwait’s military said it was responding to incoming missile and drone attacks. Both countries have previously been targeted during periods of heightened confrontation involving Iran.
In the aftermath of the US strikes, Iranian media reported explosions early on Wednesday at several strategic sites, including Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub.
Additional blasts were reported on Qeshm Island and in the southern port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas, although there was no immediate official assessment of the extent of the damage.
The latest exchange of military action marks a sharp escalation in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran, raising concerns over the security of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global energy supplies.
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