US launched strikes on Iran, targeting air defense and port facilities, after Iran attacked three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran called it “treacherous action.
A US official said the strikes targeted Iranian air defence systems, port facilities, coastal surveillance systems, ground-to-air missiles, and launch sites used for anti-ship cruise missiles and drones. In a statement, the US military said the action was a response to Iran’s attacks on the vessels a day earlier, calling Tehran’s actions “unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
Ahead of the strikes, the US had also revoked a temporary sanctions waiver on Iranian oil, with the Treasury Department cancelling a licence that had permitted Iran to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through to 21 August. The move has been described by some observers as a potentially major blow to the existing agreement.
Iran’s foreign ministry hit back at Washington, accusing it of “treacherous action” and “major violations” of the memorandum of understanding, and vowing to “take whatever measures it deems necessary to safeguard its national interests and security.” Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said Tehran would “take decisive actions to safeguard its national interests and security.”
Iranian state media reported that six projectiles struck the area of the Taheroui pier in Sirik, in southern Iran. No civilian deaths were reported, though an Iranian state TV reporter said several people were injured by shrapnel from an “enemy projectile” that hit a commercial pier in the area. Strikes were also reported to have hit fishing piers in Sirik and in Bandar Abbas, where several fishing boats were set ablaze.
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