By Joshua Klein | Breitbart
U.S. forces launched a series of what the military described as “powerful strikes” against Iran early Wednesday after Tehran attacked three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. Central Command declaring the Islamic Republic’s actions amounted to “a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
CENTCOM said the strikes were intended to impose “heavy costs” on Iran for targeting civilian-crewed commercial shipping in an international waterway, describing the attacks as “unwarranted” and “dangerous.” The operation came as Washington and Tehran were implementing a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending months of regional conflict and restoring safe navigation through the strategic waterway.
The escalation followed a series of Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz over Monday and Tuesday, including a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker and a Saudi tanker, prompting condemnations from Gulf states, the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports, and raising new questions about the future of the agreement.
A U.S. official told Axios the strikes targeted Iranian air-defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missile batteries, anti-ship cruise missile sites, drone launch sites, and port facilities. Iranian state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and on Qeshm Island. The official said the operation was roughly four to five times larger in scope than U.S. strikes carried out in the area about ten days earlier.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed that one tanker reported being struck by an unknown projectile on its port side, causing a fire, while advising ships transiting the strategic waterway to exercise caution. The attacks damaged three commercial vessels but caused no reported casualties.
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