US pounds Iran targets after Hormuz strikes, Trump calls Tehran ‘dirty players’ as tensions escalate
Trump calls Tehran dirty players. (Image courtesy: Wikimedia)
New Delhi: The United States and Iran moved closer to a fresh military confrontation after president Donald Trump declared the MoU (memorandum of understanding) between the two countries was effectively finished, saying there was no point in continuing talks with Tehran. The remarks, made while speaking to reporters during the Nato summit in Ankara, came as US forces launched a new round of strikes on Iranian military targets following renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The military action followed attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz that were earlier reported by RNA Media based on alerts issued by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Those incidents disrupted the brief pause in hostilities that had followed last month’s memorandum and prompted Washington to respond militarily.
According to Axios, citing US Central Command (Centcom), American forces struck more than 80 Iranian military targets using precision munitions. The operation targeted air-defence systems, command-and-control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, drone launch sites, port facilities and more than 60 small boats belonging to IRGC operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
A US official told Axios that the operation was four to five times larger than previous US strikes conducted in the Strait of Hormuz about 10 days earlier. Iranian state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik and on Qeshm Island after the strikes.
Iran responds with strikes on us bases
Iran responded by launching attacks on US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, with the IRGC claiming it had targeted 85 US military installations. Air-raid sirens sounded across both countries, while the Kuwaiti army said its air defences were confronting hostile missile and drone attacks. There was no immediate confirmation of any damage or casualties.
The Iranian military warned it would deliver a “crushing response” to the US strikes and said it would not allow US interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran said the only safe route for commercial ships and oil tankers was one set by Iran. Iran’s foreign ministry accused the US of repeated violations of the memorandum of understanding and warned that Tehran would take decisive measures in response. The ministry said the alleged violations included interference in the Strait of Hormuz, Israeli attacks in Lebanon and strikes on southern Iran.
The renewed violence comes despite a ceasefire that came into effect in April and the signing of the memorandum last month, which began 60 days of negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme and bringing a permanent end to hostilities.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a Qatari tanker, Al Rekayyat, was among the vessels hit on Tuesday while travelling south through the Strait of Hormuz towards the Gulf of Oman. Qatar, which has been mediating talks between Washington and Tehran, condemned the attack and called it a serious and explicit violation of international law.
The three tankers were hit close to Oman, which has proposed a new shipping corridor near its coastline to improve maritime safety. Iran has dismissed the proposal, saying the memorandum places the responsibility for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restoring commercial traffic on Tehran, in conjunction with Oman.
The latest surge was during funeral rites for Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed at the start of the conflict. Huge crowds gathered in the holy city of Qom to mourn Khamenei, some with banners criticising the US and calling for action against Trump.
