US strikes Iran after tankers hit in Strait of Hormuz
Tehran said it targeted 85 US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to Washington’s alleged violation of the ceasefire.
The United States on Wednesday struck Iran as a response to Tehran allegedly attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military said that it had targeted 80 sites, including air defence systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites and anti-ship missile capabilities to “degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking” international commerce in the strait.
More than 60 small boats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were also hit.
The US strikes came a day after Iran allegedly attacked three liquefied natural gas and crude oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation,” the US Central Command said, adding that its forces are prepared to hold Iran accountable when the ceasefire agreement is not adhered to.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accused the US of violating the ceasefire, and said that they targeted 85 US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response, Khaleej Times reported.
MB Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, said that the US’ strikes had violated the peace agreement.
Qatar, among the countries mediating an end to the conflict, said that targeting of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz was an “unacceptable attack” on the safety of international maritime navigation, the security of global energy supplies and an “explicit violation” of international law.
One of the tankers that was attacked was Qatari.
Crude prices jump
The price of benchmark Brent crude jumped 2.6% on Wednesday after the US’ strikes. It was trading at $76 per barrel.
The price had climbed as high as $114 per barrel on May 4 amid the war in West Asia from $78 per barrel on February 27, a day before the conflict started. The price had fallen to its pre-war level after an interim peace deal between Iran and the US was announced.
On June 15, the US and Iran reached an interim agreement to stop the fighting and reopen the strait for commercial vessels. They have since held talks in Switzerland aimed at reaching a final peace deal within two months.
Written by Nachiket Deuskar. Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.
