The United States military carried out a new round of retaliatory strikes against Iran on Tuesday, targeting more than 80 sites after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian authorities said there have been no reports of civilian casualties from the strikes.
US Central Command Details the Operation
According to a release from US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes were conducted on July 7 as "an immediate response to Iran's latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz." CENTCOM stated that US forces hit over 80 targets with precision munitions, including Iranian air defense systems, command-and-control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats operating in and near the strait.
The operation was aimed at degrading Iran's ability to carry out further attacks on international shipping, CENTCOM said. The US further alleged that Iran had recently conducted strikes on three commercial vessels: the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and the Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.
Ceasefire Violation Allegations
Calling the alleged Iranian strikes a breach of the ceasefire, CENTCOM said, "The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation." It added that CENTCOM forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable when the agreement is not adhered to.
Iran's official news agency IRNA, citing the office of the Governor of Hormozgan province, reported that "to date, there have been no civilian casualty reports resulting from Tuesday evening's attacks by the American adversary." Iranian state media reported a series of blasts in several locations, including Qeshm Island and the port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas, with fires breaking out at Shahid Haqqani Port in Bandar Abbas and the pier at Sirik.
Iranian President Returns Amid Strikes
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian departed Iraq and is returning to Tehran, as per IRIB. Pezeshkian had traveled to the Iraqi city of Najaf to attend the multi-day funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose body arrived in the city on Tuesday. He left Najaf in the early hours of Wednesday after concluding his visit to Iraq, according to IRNA.
US Revokes Iranian Oil License
In addition to the military strikes, the United States revoked a general license that authorized the sale of Iranian oil, saying Tehran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz were "wholly unacceptable" and would have consequences following recent strikes on commercial tankers, The Times of Israel reported. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the decision, calling it a "clear violation" of Article 10 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on June 18.
The US decision came after three tankers reported being struck by unidentified projectiles in and near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). There was no immediate response from Tehran or any claim of responsibility.
Iranian Media Reports on Tanker Incident
However, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, citing unnamed sources, reported that the Qatari oil tanker "Al-Raqayat" was targeted after allegedly attempting to transit through the Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz with US Navy support while ignoring repeated Iranian warnings. IRIB further highlighted Iran's longstanding position that "the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to what it was before the US attack on Iran," adding that all transit through the Strait must follow routes announced by Iran, otherwise the security of vessels cannot be guaranteed.
The US Treasury Department had on June 21 lifted previous sanctions to allow the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical, and petroleum products through August 21 after the United States and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
