U.S. Unleashes "Powerful Strikes" Against Iran

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday the commencement of a series of military strikes against Iran. This action is in response to Iranian assaults on three commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz, representing the most severe escalation since both nations agreed to a provisional ceasefire less than three weeks ago.

In a statement shared via social media, CENTCOM revealed that U.S. forces have initiated "a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose high costs for directing and attacking commercial ships manned by innocent civilians in an international waterway."

The military command described Iran's actions as "unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire."

Iranian state media reported explosions in the cities of Qeshm and Bandar Abbas following the onset of the U.S. bombings.

According to a report by Axios, based on official U.S. sources, the three Iranian attacks on vessels occurred between Monday night and early Tuesday morning. The first involved the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat, which was transporting liquefied natural gas near Limah, Oman. A projectile struck its port engine room, igniting a fire onboard.

A second oil tanker was hit on its left side while exiting the strait near the Oman-Emirates border, and a third vessel was struck by a drone off the coast of Oman. Although the latter two ships sustained damage, there were no injuries reported, and they continued their journey.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, condemned the attack on the Al Rekayyat as a "severe and explicit violation of international law" and held Iran "fully and legally responsible" for the incident.

In response to the Iranian attacks, Washington swiftly revoked the license that authorized the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian oil, which was set to remain in effect until August 21.

An anonymous U.S. official told the Associated Press that Iran's actions in the strait were "unacceptable and needed to have consequences."

Tehran reacted strongly, with Iran's Foreign Ministry asserting that the license revocation breaches the provisional agreement and warning that "the U.S. government is responsible for the consequences of this commitment breach."

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi took to social media to declare that the new U.S. military strikes also violate the agreement.

The strikes on Tuesday were the most numerous in a single day since late April, according to the United Nations International Maritime Organization. They 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 60-day ceasefire and the reopening of the strait, but it has been repeatedly violated.

Indirect talks held in Doha last week ended without significant progress, and negotiations were on hold awaiting the burial of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who passed away at the start of the conflict on February 28.

In times of peace, one-fifth of all traded oil and natural gas worldwide passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making every escalation a direct threat to the global economy.

Khamenei's body, aged 86, was transported to the city of Qom on Tuesday for funeral ceremonies, with processions planned Wednesday in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, and the final burial scheduled for Thursday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.