US Conducts Airstrikes on Iran Following Strait of Hormuz Incident

Tehran. The United States has claimed to have completed airstrikes targeting various locations in the southern region of Iran. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), this action was taken in response to Iran's attack on three commercial ships traveling in the Strait of Hormuz. 

The airstrikes, which began on Tuesday, lasted for approximately four hours, during which more than 80 targets were struck using 'precision weapons', CENTCOM stated. Reuters reported that the US strikes targeted Iran's air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missile, anti-ship cruise missile, and drone launch sites.

In response to this attack, Iranian military leaders have vowed a strong response, making it clear that they will not accept foreign interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian media, missiles fell in the commercial and fishing ghats in the southern port city of Sirik, Qeshm Island, and areas near Bandar Abbas, and several explosions were heard. It was also reported that some people were injured by shrapnel at Sirik port. 

Meanwhile, a few hours after the attack in Iran, warning sirens were also heard in Kuwait and Bahrain. The Kuwaiti army stated that its air defense system was dealing with missile and drone attacks. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who was in Iraq, returned to his country immediately after the attack.

The US Treasury Department on Tuesday revoked the decision to lift the temporary ban on Iranian oil, less than 20 days after the agreement was reached.

Following this incident, Iran's Foreign Ministry accused the US of violating the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the two countries last June. The agreement was made with the aim of ending the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran at the end of February, in which Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, and in return, the US would lift the naval blockade on Iran and temporarily lift the ban on Iranian oil for 60 days. 

However, less than 20 days after the agreement was reached, the US Treasury Department on Tuesday revoked the decision to lift the temporary ban on Iranian oil. Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf stated that reviving the oil ban and attacking southern Iran is a serious violation of the MOU.

This move by the Treasury Department comes after attacks on cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a Qatari LNG tanker caught fire after being hit by an unidentified object off the coast of Oman. Although Iranian television claimed that the ship was attacked after ignoring warnings, Tehran has not taken direct responsibility for it. 

Similarly, it is reported that a Saudi Arabian oil tanker was also damaged by a missile fired by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Mike Hanna of Al Jazeera, reporting from the White House, noted that this conflict has escalated because Iran is pressuring ships to use the northern route under its control even after the agreement, while the US is urging the use of the southern safe route. 

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi accused the US of disregarding Articles 1, 2, and 10 of the MOU, while Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that Iran is fully prepared to face and defend itself against any new aggression.

Al Jazeera