The United States launched dozens of strikes on Iran early on Wednesday, citing retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) reported striking over 80 targets in Iran, including 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 near the strait to reduce Iran’s ability to attack international commerce.

CENTCOM stated that Iran had attacked three commercial vessels: the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity, which were near the coast of Oman.

In response, the IRGC claimed it destroyed 85 major US military installations located in Port Salman, the US Fifth Naval Base in Bahrain, and Kuwait’s Ali Salem Airbase. They also reported shooting down an enemy MQ9 drone that interfered with their operations.

Iran’s ministry condemned the US strikes as military aggression violating Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Termination of War, which mandates cessation of military operations.

Following the US attacks, President Donald Trump told reporters at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, that he believes the MoU with Iran is "over". While he indicated peace talks might continue for now, he described them as a "waste of time".

Both the US and Iran have accused each other of violating the memorandum of understanding signed in June, raising concerns about the potential renewal of all-out war in the Middle East.

Sources