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The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced this Tuesday the start of a series of military strikes against Iran, in response to Iranian assaults on three commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the most severe escalation since both countries signed a provisional ceasefire less than three weeks ago.
In a statement published on social media, CENTCOM declared that U.S. forces have begun to launch "a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose high costs for directing and attacking merchant vessels crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway."
The military command described Iran's behavior as "unjustified, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire."
Iranian state media reported explosions in the cities of Qeshm and Bandar Abbas following the start of American airstrikes.
The three Iranian attacks on vessels occurred between Monday night and early Tuesday morning, according to a report by Axios based on U.S. official sources.
The first incident affected the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat, which was transporting liquefied natural gas near Limah, Oman: a projectile struck its left engine room and ignited a fire on board.
A second oil tanker was struck on its left side as it exited the strait near the Omani-Emirati border, and a third was hit by a drone off the coast of Oman.
The last two suffered damage but reported no injuries and continued on their route.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Majed Al-Ansari, described the attack on Al Rekayyat as a "serious and explicit violation of international law" and held Iran "fully and legally" responsible for what occurred.
Hours after the Iranian attacks, Washington revoked the license that authorized the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian oil, which was valid until August 21.
An American official who spoke to the AP agency on the condition of anonymity explained that Iran's actions in the strait "were unacceptable and should have consequences."
Tehran responded firmly. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the revocation of the license violates the provisional agreement and warned that "the U.S. government is responsible for the consequences of this breach of commitment."
The deputy minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted on social media that the new U.S. military attacks also constitute a violation of the agreement.
The attacks on Tuesday are the most numerous in a single day since late April, according to the International Maritime Organization of the UN, and occurred while President Donald Trump was in Turkey for the NATO summit.
The diplomatic context is particularly sensitive. The provisional agreement signed in Switzerland in mid-June established a ceasefire for 60 days and the reopening of the strait, but it has been violated repeatedly.
The indirect conversations held in Doha last week concluded without significant progress, and the negotiations were on hold pending the burial of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who passed away at the beginning of the conflict on February 28.
In times of peace, one-fifth of all the oil and natural gas traded in the world passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making each escalation a direct threat to the global economy.
The body of Khamenei, 86 years old, was moved on Tuesday to the city of Qom for the funeral services, with processions planned on Wednesday in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, and the final burial scheduled for Thursday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.
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