US launches strikes against Iran after ships hit in Strait of Hormuz

DUBAI (Web Desk) – The US military launched new strikes against Iran early Wednesday, hours after three merchant ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest exchange of fire to threaten the interim deal to end the fighting between the two countries._x000D_
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The renewed attacks were sure to add to the difficulty of the negotiations aimed at fully reopening the strait, rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program and reaching a permanent end to the war launched Feb. 28._x000D_
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In a statement posted to social media, US Central Command said American forces launched the strikes “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.”_x000D_
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“Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” the command said in their statement._x000D_
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A similar spate of Iranian attacks on shipping and US retaliation occurred late last month._x000D_
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Hours after the three tankers were struck by projectiles, and the United States revoked a license that had authorized the sale of Iranian oil as part of the interim deal to end the fighting between the US and Iran._x000D_
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The new assaults in the fuel-shipping waterway were the most in a single day since late April, according to the UN International Maritime Organization._x000D_
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The fresh attacks threatened to choke off the flow of traffic in the strait just as countries hoped to restore normal shipping practices and ease the global economic strain of the war._x000D_
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A US official said the license was revoked because Iran’s actions in the strait were unacceptable and needed to be met with consequences. The official spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to share insight into the reasoning behind the move._x000D_
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The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the US move to revoke the license, saying in a statement that it violates the interim deal and that “the US government bears responsibility for the consequences of this breach of commitment.”_x000D_
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Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, also said in a post on X that the new attacks by the US are a violation of that agreement.