US Launches New Strikes on Targets in Iran
The US military has announced a series of strikes on Iran in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it has conducted a series of powerful strikes against Iran to hold it accountable for shelling and attacks on commercial vessels whose crews consisted of innocent civilians. The strikes were a response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM stated that Iranian aggression was completely unprovoked, posed a serious threat, and constituted a clear violation of the ceasefire regime.
According to Axios, such an exchange of strikes could draw the US and Iran into a new cycle of escalation, jeopardizing the fragile Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed less than three weeks ago. An unnamed US official reported that the targeted sites included Iranian air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missile complexes, anti-ship cruise missile positions, drone launch pads, and port infrastructure.
The strikes followed an incident on the evening of July 6, when Iranian military fired a missile at a commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz.
