U.S. launches new attacks on Iran in retaliation for attacks on commercial ships, U.S. military says

The U.S. military launched new attacks on Iran Tuesday in retaliation for Iranian attacks against commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.

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“U.S. 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,” CENTCOM said. “The U.S. 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.”

The attacks come as U.S. and Iranian officials have been negotiating about maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which some 20% of the world’s oil passed before the war.

Iran has argued that it has a right to charge a fee for ships passing through the strait.

U.S. military strikes continued against Iran on Tuesday evening and were described by a U.S. official as bigger than previous U.S. retaliatory strikes against the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. military is targeting air defenses, coastal surveillance sites, surface to air missile (SAM) sites, anti-ship cruise missile sites, drone launch sites, and port facilities, the U.S. official said.

The strikes are being carried out with Air Force jets and Navy Tactical aircraft, according to the U.S. official.

The U.S. also revoked a temporary sanctions waiver that had allowed for the sale of Iranian oil on the global market on Tuesday because of Iran’s attacks.

The revoked waiver, listed on the Treasury Department’s website, said the move was effective immediately. It also said that any production, delivery or sale of Iranian oil must be wound down by July 17.

The waiver had originally allowed sales until August 21.

One tanker was traveling off the coast of Oman when it was hit and caught fire, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. Iranian state television said the liquefied natural gas tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings but did not directly claim the assault.

The other two ships sustained some damage, but no one was injured, and both continued on their way, the U.K. maritime agency said.

Oil prices surged from around $69 to nearly $73, a nearly 6% increase after weeks of relative calm in oil markets, with the latest Iran developments.

A similar exchange of attacks took place in late June when Iran attacked a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. military retaliated with 10 attacks on what it described as “military targets” in and around the strait. Iran than escalated the situation further by carrying out attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait.

The new attacks raise questions about the possibility of finalizing a lasting agreement to end the war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.

President Donald Trump and Iranian officials signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June, which kicked off a 60-day period to negotiate a deal.