In brief
On Sunday, US forces launched airstrikes against Iranian IRGC small boats off Qeshm Island and near Bandar Abbas, following the Iranian attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command described the strikes as "powerful" and footage captured a fire in Bandar Abbas. Iran condemned the attacks as a breach of the security memorandum signed last month and warned of decisive measures. No casualties have been reported, but the incident adds to mounting friction between the two powers in the Middle East.
The United States announced it had carried out a series of airstrikes on Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats and other targets in the southeastern Arabian Sea on Sunday.
The strikes were a response to a string of covert attacks on oil tankers that Iran has claimed to perpetrate near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month. According to US Central Command, the operations were conducted off Qeshm Island and linked to a fire that was visible in Bandar Abbas.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister described the US actions as a violation of the security memorandum signed last month for the region and warned Tehran would take “decisive measures.”
Iranian state media reported that the strikes hit Qeshm Island, the port city of Bandar Abbas and the town of Sirik, though no casualties were confirmed at the moment.
The incident follows previous escalations, including the attacks on three tankers in April that killed four civilians. Analysts say the US move further complicates an already fragile situation in a key shipping corridor that handles a large proportion of global oil traffic.