United States launches second day of strikes following Strait of Hormuz aggression
Updated ,first published
Washington: As the ceasefire and interim peace agreement continues to erode following Iran’s renewed aggression in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States launched an attack on Iran for the second night in a row.
“Under the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have begun conducting additional strikes against Iran to further weaken their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. military said.
“The United States holds Iran responsible for recent unwarranted attacks on commercial shipping and civilian crews traveling freely in a vital international waterway.”
The exact targets of the attacks late Wednesday night (Tehran time) were not yet clear, but they followed attacks on more than 80 Iranian targets the night before, including air defense systems, missile stockpiles, surveillance systems and drone launch sites.
State television news agency Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcast reported that explosions were heard near the major port city of Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz and Sirik, also in the strait.
The agency later reported that three explosions were heard near Konarak and near Chabahar, both in the country’s southeastern corner on the Gulf of Oman.
According to Reuters, Iranian state television reported that explosions were also heard on Abu Musa, a militarized island under Iranian control at the western entrance of the strait.
The United States and Gulf countries accused Iran of attacking three ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, including a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker and a Saudi Arabian-flagged crude oil tanker. Iran denied responsibility.
However, after the first reaction of the USA, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it attacked US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The renewed violence represents the biggest threat to the already fragile ceasefire since the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran was signed in mid-June.
Speaking at the NATO summit in Türkiye, US President Donald Trump said he thought the ceasefire was effectively “over”. It heralded additional attacks against Iran following Tehran’s aggression on Wednesday (Ankara time).
“We knocked down 28 boats last night, little ones,” Trump told reporters on the sidelines of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Are we going to go? [again] tonight? Normally I wouldn’t tell you, but you know what? There’s nothing they can do about it… so the answer is ‘probably’. Because they deserve it.”
Trump added: “There could be a major attack and it would take down a lot of things. We wouldn’t take down anything, we would take down a lot of things.”
The new attacks began shortly after Trump left Türkiye to return to the United States via England. Air Force One was in the air when the attacks began.
The US President left Türkiye with the old Air Force One plane, not with the new Air Force One plane gifted to him by Qatar. He did not directly answer when asked if this was due to security concerns amid the conflict with Iran.
The 14-point Memorandum of Understanding signed in June was supposed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and begin a 60-day negotiation period for a final agreement, as well as maintain a ceasefire that began in April.
Earlier in Ankara, Trump had talked about the potential of reaching a deal with Iran to end the war properly.
“A lot of people say they’re very dishonest people and they can’t keep an agreement,” he said of the Iranians. “I don’t see that with them. My whole life is about agreements, I don’t see that with them.”
Trump has said he is considering reimposing the blockade, and US Central Command posted a video on social media on Wednesday (US time) showing the massive navy and air fleet still patrolling the region’s waterways and skies.
A few hours before the latest round of attacks began, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei issued a statement arguing that the Memorandum of Understanding clearly emphasizes Iran’s responsibility to determine regulations for safe passage through the strait.
He accused the United States of violating the agreement through its “unilateral actions and aggressive attacks on Iran.”
In his statement to X, Baqaei said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will resolutely continue to protect its national interests and exercise its sovereignty.”
Take notes directly from our foreign country reporters about things that make headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What’s on in the World Newsletter.
Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
