U.S. strikes Iranian targets after tanker attack in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Central Command said its forces struck multiple targets inside Iran early Saturday after an Iranian drone attacked the Panama-flagged tanker Kiku in the Strait of Hormuz. The military said the strikes hit surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities.

The tanker was carrying roughly two million barrels of crude when it was hit. Iranian state media reported explosions in the Sirik and Qeshm areas of southern Iran. Iranian officials described the U.S. action as a violation of the interim truce reached two weeks ago.

Background to the latest clashes The latest round follows a four-month conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli military action at the end of February. The two sides signed an interim agreement two weeks ago intended to halt fighting and open negotiations.

Both governments have accused the other of breaking that agreement. U.S. officials said the strikes were a direct response to repeated attacks on shipping. Iranian state media said Tehran had conducted its own strikes on U.S. targets in the Gulf. Bahrain reported that several Iranian drones targeted its territory and accused Tehran of undermining peace efforts.

Regional ripple effects Israel conducted its own airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the first such action since the U.S.-Iran framework was announced. Hezbollah’s leader rejected a separate U.S.-backed agreement between Israel and Lebanon, calling it null and void.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that any further aggression would draw a broader response. Oil prices fell despite the flare-up, as traders bet that traffic through the strait would continue. Iran’s statistics agency reported that year-on-year inflation reached 88.6 percent, up from 68 percent in February.