The United States launched military strikes on Iran after accusing Tehran of attacking a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions despite a fragile ceasefire agreement reached last week.
WEBDESK – MEDIABITES
The latest confrontation erupted after an Iranian drone strike targeted a cargo vessel near Oman’s coast, prompting the US military to carry out retaliatory attacks on Iranian missile and drone storage facilities as well as coastal radar sites.
US Central Command confirmed the strikes on Friday, calling them a “powerful response” to what Washington described as an unprovoked attack on international commercial shipping in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Explosions were reported near the southern Iranian port city of Sirik, where Iranian media said a projectile struck the area around a pier. Tehran later claimed its naval forces responded by targeting several US military positions in the region, although no details were provided regarding possible damage or casualties.
US Vice President JD Vance warned Iran against further escalation, saying Washington had respected the ceasefire agreement and that “violence will be met with violence.”
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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards accused the United States of violating the ceasefire and vowed broader retaliation if additional strikes were launched. Iranian officials insisted Tehran has the right to regulate ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which nearly one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies pass.
Despite the military escalation, diplomatic efforts continued elsewhere in the region. Israel and Lebanon signed a tentative agreement aimed at ending months of fighting involving Hezbollah, although major uncertainties remain over implementation.
Global markets reacted nervously to the renewed tensions, although oil prices still fell nearly 3 percent earlier in the day as shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz gradually resumed after months of disruption.
Saudi Aramco also restarted crude loadings at its Ras Tanura terminal following a lengthy suspension caused by regional instability.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Gulf Cooperation Council officials jointly called for unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting any attempts to impose control or tolls on commercial shipping.
Iran, however, maintained that management of the strategic waterway should remain under the authority of Iran and Oman.
The latest military exchange has renewed fears of a wider regional conflict involving the United States, Iran and Gulf allies, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to preserve the fragile ceasefire.
