US military strikes Iran after Tehran hits 3 tankers in Strait of Hormuz

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The U.S. military began launching a series of “powerful” strikes against targets in Iran after Tehran attacked at least three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced on social media Tuesday evening.

Centcom said the attacks are intended to “impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians” in the strait, a key passageway through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas flows.

“Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” Centcom said.

On Tuesday morning, Qatar blamed Iran for attacking Al-Rekayyat — a Qatari liquefied natural gas vessel, accusing the Islamic Republic of disrupting maritime traffic in the strait and violating international law.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations, which is affiliated with the British Royal Navy, said on Monday a commercial tanker caught fire after being struck by a projectile while transiting near the coast of Oman. No casualties were reported.

Iran has warned oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz using Tehran’s approved routes or face a “forceful response” from its military.

The strikes on Al-Rekayyat and other ships come as huge crowds of people have attended the multiday funeral processions for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes at the end of February.

The U.S. strikes occurred just hours after the Trump administration revoked a sanctions waiver that permitted the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemicals.

Transactions that were allowed under the previous sanctions waiver would have to wind down by July 17, the new documents from the Treasury Department said.

The initial sanctions waiver was included in the memorandum of understanding signed by both the U.S. and Iran last month.

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