Tensions between the United States and Iran continue to simmer despite the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at halting attacks and reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
In another agreement that was reached in Qatar, with both sides once again committing to stop hostilities. However, the truce remains fragile, as Washington and Tehran continue to trade accusations of ceasefire violations.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the biggest sticking point. Iran has pushed for complete control over the waterway, and the newly established Iranian authority overseeing the strait has issued designated routes for vessels. It has also warned that it will not be held responsible for attacks on ships that fail to follow these routes. The US, however, argues that the move violates the ceasefire agreement, which guarantees safe and unrestricted passage through the strait.
Here are the latest developments from the region:
US attacks Iran: The US military unleashed a new wave of strikes on Iran, hitting over 80 targets as an immediate response to Iran’s latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. US CENTCOM, in a press release, said it struck 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.
It called Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels a “clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire,” saying they “undermine freedom of navigation.”
“CENTCOM forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable when the agreement is not adhered to or obeyed,” it added.
The US strikes come after Iran reportedly attacked three commercial vessels transiting the strait, including Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.
US revokes Iranian license: The US also revoked its license that allowed Iran to sell its oil, Reuters reported. The Iranian foreign ministry condemned the decision, saying it was a “clear and material breach of Article 10 of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Cessation of War.”
It added that the ministry holds the US “fully responsible” for the consequences arising from this breach of commitment.
Warning of the consequences of Washington’s alleged breach of its commitments, the ministry said it would take any measures it deems necessary to safeguard Iran’s national interests and national security.
Blasts heard in Iran: According to Iranian state media, blasts were heard at Iran’s main oil hub on Kharg Island, on Qeshm Island, and in the southern port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas, Reuters reported. While no civilian deaths were reported, several people were injured by shrapnel from an “enemy projectile” that hit a commercial pier in Sirik, according to an Iranian state TV reporter.
The strikes also reportedly hit fishing piers in Sirik and Bandar Abbas, where several fishing boats were set ablaze.
Iran threatens ‘crushing’ response: Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country’s top joint military command, said on Wednesday that its armed forces would deliver a “crushing response” after accusing the US military of carrying out strikes on parts of southern Iran in what it described as a “blatant act of aggression.” It also warned that Tehran would not tolerate any US interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
The military command further said that the only safe route for commercial ships and oil tankers transiting the strategic waterway was the one designated by Iran, according to Reuters.
Ghalibaf lays out US violations: Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, condemned the recent US strikes, saying they violated the MoU. Listing what he called the violations, he said: “Violating Iranian adjustments in the Strait, persistent threats of further strikes, reinstating oil sanctions, attacks on southern Iran, and continued Zionist aggression in Lebanon.”
“The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold,” he added in a post on X.
