US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced early Wednesday that it had completed a new round of offensive strikes against Iran, hitting over 80 targets with precision munitions. The strikes were an immediate response to Iran's attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz: the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.
The strikes targeted Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait. The US military stated that the goal was to degrade Iran's ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the trade corridor.
Iranian Retaliation and Ceasefire Violations
Iran retaliated by striking military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, according to a statement by Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The Guard accused the "child-killing and terrorist U.S. army" of openly violating the ceasefire with attacks on coastal bases and civilian stations. Bahrain hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet, while Kuwait hosts US Army personnel.
Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused the US of committing "major" violations of the initial ceasefire deal, known as the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. In a post on X, he listed the violations as "Persistent threats of further strikes," "Reinstating oil sanctions," and "Attacks on southern Iran." He added, "The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold."
Escalation After Oil License Revocation
The escalating attacks occurred just hours after Washington revoked Tehran's license to sell oil, which had been granted only last month following an interim ceasefire deal. The US strikes prompted immediate retaliation from Tehran, which reportedly hit Bahrain and Kuwait. The strategic waterway remains a critical flashpoint in the fragile truce, having sparked a previous exchange of fire between the two sides after a cargo ship was struck, threatening the agreement aimed at ending the war.
President Donald Trump has said the US would either reach a deal with Tehran or "finish the job." Speaking at the NATO summit in Turkey on Wednesday morning, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the US strikes were "absolutely necessary." He told reporters: "When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire… I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully reacts."
Impact on Global Shipping and Ceasefire
Three civilian vessels were hit in the strait on Tuesday – the most in a single day since late April, according to UN International Maritime Organisation figures. In response, maritime authorities raised the threat level from "substantial" to "severe." The renewed hostilities threaten to again disrupt shipping transiting the Gulf channel and cause difficulties in securing a permanent end to the conflict, launched by the US and Israel on February 28.
Tensions have been running high in Iran with the holding of funeral ceremonies for the former supreme leader, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening attack of the war. Ending Tehran's stranglehold on the strait, which disrupted global oil and gas supplies and drove up fuel and food prices, had been a key demand in previous negotiations.
Interim Agreement and Future Administration
The initial deal reached between the US and Iran only secures safe, toll-free passage of the waterway for 60 days, pending the outcome of a final agreement on Tehran's disputed nuclear plans. The pact also leaves it to Iran and Oman, in conjunction with other Gulf states, to "define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz."
In the meantime, Iran has continued to try and exert leverage over the channel, including demanding ships seek permission to transit and raising the spectre of future charges. Tehran has claimed that only it is permitted to carry out mine clearance in the strait under the terms of the interim agreement, after Oman agreed to work with Britain and France to ensure the sea route remained open.
A joint statement issued by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron last Friday said: "The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for the global economy. Restoring safe transit for ships of all nations through the Strait is a matter of global concern. The Sultanate of Oman has agreed to work with the United Kingdom and France to ensure that its sovereign territorial waters are safe for navigation. The UK and France also stand ready to deploy the wider multinational military mission to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."
The two leaders added: "The United Kingdom and France reaffirm their shared commitment to regional stability, respect for the sovereignty of all states, and their willingness to maintain close co-operation with their partners in order to uphold global security, freedom of navigation and international law."
