Iran accuses US of violating peace agreement after strikes target sites around strait of Hormuz | US-Israel war on Iran
Iran accused the United States of violating the agreement aimed at ending the war between the two sides after the US military launched an offensive around the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran lifted a temporary sanctions exemption for oil exports.
The US military said it struck more than 80 targets early Wednesday in response to Iran’s attack on three merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
Referring to three tankers, including the Qatar LNG ship, that were hit in the strait within a few hours, the US central command said, “The aggression shown by Iran is unwarranted, dangerous and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
Iran responded by launching attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait; The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that 85 facilities were targeted. Air raid sirens were heard in both countries and Kuwait’s military said its air defenses were facing “hostile” missile and drone attacks, but there was no confirmation of any damage.
Wednesday’s attacks were the latest in a series of ceasefire violations between the two sides, despite a ceasefire taking effect in April and the signing last month of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that launched 60-day talks to resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program and bring a permanent end to hostilities.
Speaking to multiple media outlets, US officials said Wednesday’s attacks targeted Iran’s weapons launch sites, air defenses and coastal surveillance system. Iranian state media reported that there were a series of explosions in Iran’s Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz and the cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
Iran’s foreign ministry accused the United States of repeatedly violating the Memorandum of Understanding and warned that it would take “decisive measures” in response. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Tehran’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States, said MoU violations include interference in the Strait of Hormuz, Israeli attacks on Lebanon and attacks on southern Iran.
Galibaf also referred to the US treasury’s decision on Tuesday to temporarily suspend sanctions on Iran’s oil sales.
The United States lifted sanctions on Iran’s oil exports after signing the Memorandum of Understanding last month, but reimposed them on Tuesday following an attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The exemption from Iranian oil exports has proven controversial among critics of the Trump administration’s Iran deal, who say it amounts to giving up an important tool for economic leverage before negotiations on the nuclear program begin.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO) said the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat was among the ships hit on Tuesday while trying to move south through the strait towards the Gulf of Oman.
Qatar is acting as a mediator in talks between Washington and Tehran, but foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari called it a “serious and flagrant violation” of international law and said Qatar would hold Iran fully responsible for the act of aggression.
All three tankers were hit near Oman, which suggested a new shipping corridor close to the coastline; Iran, on the other hand, opposes this proposal because it wants to pay ships to use the waterway.
Iran said on Tuesday that Washington’s efforts to open new routes through the strait amounted to a violation of the memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides. Tehran claims the agreement was specifically written to direct the reopening of the strait in consultation with Oman, with the aim of returning commercial traffic to pre-war levels within 30 days.
Experts said that the vague wording of the Memorandum of Understanding led both sides to interpret the agreement in different ways, and repeated misunderstandings continued to threaten a ceasefire.
Wednesday’s U.S. strikes took place during the days-long funeral for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the war. Large crowds were seen mourning Khamenei in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday; Hundreds of thousands of people held flags and banners comparing Khamenei to revered Shiite martyrs. Some had signs and banners that read “KILL TRUMP.”
