The U.S. military launched a series of strikes against Iranian targets early Wednesday, following attacks on three merchant ships in the waters off Oman.
U.S. Central Command confirmed the actions in a social media statement, asserting that American forces initiated the strikes “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.”
The statement further condemned Iran’s actions, describing them as “unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
These military operations came hours after three tankers were reportedly struck by projectiles on Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz.
The British military confirmed the incidents, which marked the highest number of such assaults in a single day since late April, according to the U.N. International Maritime Organization.
The fresh attacks threaten to disrupt traffic in the crucial fuel-shipping waterway, just as nations hoped to normalize shipping practices and alleviate global economic pressures.
In a related development, the U.S. revoked a 60-day license issued last month by the Treasury Department, which had waived sanctions on Iranian oil as part of an interim deal to end fighting between the U.S. and Iran.
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, stated the license was rescinded because “Iran’s actions in the strait were unacceptable and needed to be met with consequences.”
One of the tankers, a liquefied natural gas vessel, was traveling off the coast of Oman when it was hit and subsequently caught fire, as reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. Iranian state television claimed the tanker came under attack after disregarding warnings, though it did not directly claim responsibility for the assault. The other two ships sustained some damage but reported no injuries, continuing their journeys, according to the U.K. maritime agency.
Tehran, which has consistently maintained that only its approved route through the strait is safe, is suspected of targeting other vessels that have utilized an alternative route closer to the Omani shore. Location data provided by the U.K. agency indicates that all three attacks occurred off the coast of Oman or the neighboring United Arab Emirates, suggesting the ships were indeed using this alternative route.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the strikes or the license revocation.
