US Strikes Tehran After Ship Attacks in Strait of Hormuz

The United States struck Tehran on Thursday morning after three ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported. Iran had accused the vessels of attempting to pass without seeking its approval. The US had already hit coastal cities in the preceding days.

Iran fired missiles and drones at multiple Gulf nations while funeral ceremonies for its late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continued. ” Tehran threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz again. At least five commercial vessels have been attacked in and around the strait since the US-Iran ceasefire.

On June 25 the Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely was struck by a projectile about 14 km southeast of Oman’s port of Dahit. On June 27 the Panama-flagged tanker Kiku was hit by a one-way attack drone while carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil. The US blamed Iran for that attack and struck southern coastal cities on June 26 and 27.

Iran retaliated with strikes on US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. On July 6–7 three more vessels were hit. The Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat suffered an engine-room fire off the Omani coast. The Saudi-flagged supertanker Wedyan was damaged while transiting the strait.

The Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity was also attacked. No casualties were reported in those incidents. The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding more than three weeks before July 9 to end their war and restore shipping.

The waterway had reopened after a preliminary agreement announced on June 17. Ship traffic stayed far below normal levels. PortWatch data showed only 513 transits between June 18 and July 5, averaging 28 ships a day.

Before the war roughly 100 ships passed through the strait each day, about half of them oil tankers carrying 20 million barrels of crude. Iran effectively closed the strait after the US-Israeli bombing campaign began on February 28. The US later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says vessels must use routes designated by Tehran and rejects the shipping corridor through Omani waters. Iran says it intends to introduce transit fees once the 60-day transition period ends. ” About 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf, according to the International Maritime Organization.