The U.S. military launched new airstrikes against Iran early Wednesday morning, hours after three commercial merchant vessels were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. This sudden military escalation threatens a fragile interim agreement designed to halt the ongoing war between the two nations.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation in a statement posted to social media, noting that American forces struck targets “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.” CENTCOM added that “Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
The pre-dawn American strikes followed a volatile Tuesday in the vital fuel-shipping corridor. According to U.N. International Maritime Organization data, the three separate projectile strikes marked the highest number of maritime assaults in the strait in a single day since late April. A similar cycle of Iranian shipping attacks and subsequent U.S. military retaliation occurred late last month.
The renewed hostilities significantly complicate diplomatic efforts to reach a permanent end to the war, which originally broke out on February 28. The current interim deal was designed to fully reopen the strait, roll back Tehran’s nuclear program, and establish a framework for lasting peace.
In tandem with the military response, the U.S. Treasury Department officially revoked a 60-day license that had temporarily waived sanctions and authorized the sale of Iranian oil through August 21. Neither the U.S. Treasury nor Iran’s mission to the United Nations responded to requests for comment regarding the policy reversal.
According to logs from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center, Tuesday’s shipping attacks occurred off the coasts of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Shippers have frequently utilized a route near the Omani shore managed by Oman and the U.S., while vessels traveling north are required by Tehran to register with Iranian authorities. Iran’s joint military command previously warned that all tankers must use its approved routes or face a “rapid and decisive reaction,” while a U.S. Navy-supervised multinational body had assured shippers on Monday that the Omani route remained open.
The first vessel hit was the Al Rekayyat, a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker traveling south near Limah, Oman. A projectile struck its left-side engine room, causing a fire. Iranian state television implied Tehran carried out the strike after the ship allegedly ignored warnings, though no official state claim was issued.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari condemned the incident on X, calling it an “unacceptable attack” and a “serious and explicit violation” of international law, stating that Qatar holds Iran “fully legally responsible.”
The UKMTO reported that the other two ships—an oil tanker struck on its left side near the Omani-Emirati border and a third tanker hit by a drone off Oman—sustained minor damage, reported no civilian injuries, and continued on their routes.
The escalating conflict unfolds during a pause in formal diplomatic talks, which are on hold until after the burial of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the war. Mourners gathered Tuesday in the seminary city of Qom following days of large funeral processions in Tehran.
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly a fifth of all globally traded oil and natural gas during peacetime. Under the 60-day interim agreement, both nations initially agreed to allow free transit without charges. However, friction developed when Tehran insisted on dictating shipping routes and collecting transit fees, terms rejected by the U.S. and its Gulf Arab allies.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the standoff during a White House press briefing, warning Iran that it would need to finalize an agreement. “I’d rather make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people,” Trump said. “We can knock down their bridges in one hour. We can knock out their energy supply.”
Prior to Wednesday’s strikes, maritime data firm Kpler reported that at least 108 ships navigated through the various channels of the strait over the weekend.
READ: Chaos In The Strait: Three Tankers Hit, U.S. Slams Shut Iran Oil Window
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