US military unleashes ‘powerful strikes’ on Iran to impose ‘heavy costs’ for cease-fire violation
The US military launched “powerful strikes” against Iran on Tuesday in response to Tehran’s attacks on three commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, which American officials view as violations of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
“US Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway,” the combatant command said in a statement.
“The US strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” it added.
An Iranian state-run media outlet reported several explosions being heard near the coastal city of Sirik and on the island of Qeshm in southern Iran, according to Al Jazeera.
Targets included Iranian air-defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missile sites, drone launch sites and port facilities, a US official told Axios.
The last round of US military strikes in Iran took place late last month, in response to the regime’s drone attack against a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites were hit by US warplanes in the June 26 airstrikes.
Tuesday’s airstrikes were described by a US official as “four or five times bigger in scope and power” than last month’s, according to Axios.
“This response is a direct result of the acts of international terrorism that have been perpetrated by Iran on innocent ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” a US official told The Post.
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“The Iranians know the consequences to their ridiculous actions, yet they still chose to carry out these attacks,” the official added.
CENTCOM’s latest announcement came shortly after the US revoked a waiver of Iranian oil sanctions, which Tehran won as part of the MOU.
For its part, the Iranian regime had pledged to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and stop attacking ships transiting the key waterway, which it has not done.
Iran fired on a Qatar-flagged tanker on Tuesday after attacking two tankers from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Monday night.
Each caused damage, with the projectiles sparking fires onboard.
“Iran’s actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and will be met with consequences,” a US official told The Post.
US negotiators, however, “continue to work in good faith towards a final deal,” the official noted.
The US strikes come as President Trump attends a NATO summit in Turkey, where he praised the Turks for assisting with the Iran conflict while condemning the leaders of the UK, Italy, Germany and France for refusing base access to attack Iran and balking at helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump reportedly approved the strike plan and ordered it during a meeting with War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine in Ankara, according to Axios.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, described the US response to the tanker attacks as a “serious violation” of the memorandum of understanding signed in Pakistan.
“Iran, while issuing a serious warning regarding the consequences of America’s breach of the agreement, will take decisive actions to safeguard its national interests and security,” Gharibabadi warned in a statement posted on social media.