US strikes Iran after three ships hit in Strait of Hormuz despite truce deal

The US military launched fresh strikes on Iran early Wednesday, hours after three merchant ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest exchange that has raised new doubts over an interim deal meant to stop the fighting between the two countries. US officials said the operation was expected to hit a range of military sites and port facilities and could last for hours.

The developments are likely to complicate efforts to fully reopen the strait, roll back Tehran's disputed nuclear programme and secure a permanent end to the war that began on February 28. They also came after the United States revoked a licence that had allowed the sale of Iranian oil under the interim arrangement.

In a statement posted on social media, US Central Command said American forces launched the strikes "to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway". One US official said the military was targeting Iranian air defence systems, coastal surveillance systems, ground-to-air missiles, and launch sites for anti-ship cruise missiles and drones. Iranian port facilities were also being targeted, the official said. A second official said the strikes would likely continue for hours. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the operation was ongoing.

Iranian state media reported explosions in Qeshm and Bandar Abbas. A similar round of Iranian attacks on shipping and US retaliation had taken place late last month, but the latest strikes were notable because they came while President Donald Trump was in Turkey for a summit of the NATO military alliance.

Hours after the three tankers were struck by projectiles, the United States revoked a licence that had authorised the production, delivery and sale of Iranian oil through August 21. A US official said the licence was withdrawn because Iran's actions in the strait were unacceptable and had to be met with consequences. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to explain the reasoning. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the move, saying it violated the interim deal and that "the US government bears responsibility for the consequences of this breach of commitment". Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, also said in a post on X that the new US attacks violated that agreement.

The attacks in the fuel-shipping waterway were the highest in a single day since late April, according to the UN International Maritime Organization. The latest incidents threatened to disrupt traffic through the strait just as countries had hoped to restore normal shipping patterns and ease the global economic strain caused by the war.

One tanker travelling off the coast of Oman was hit and caught fire, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre. Iranian state television said the liquefied natural gas tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings, but it did not directly claim responsibility. The other two ships suffered some damage, but no one was injured and both continued their journey, the UK maritime agency said.

Tehran has repeatedly said that only its approved route through the strait is safe, and it is suspected of attacking other ships that used an alternative route near the Omani coast. Location details released by the UK agency showed that all three attacks took place off the coast of Oman or the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, suggesting the ships were using the route near Oman. In peacetime, a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the channel.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said one tanker was carrying liquid natural gas south through the strait near Limah, Oman, when a projectile struck the left-side engine room and caused a fire. Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, said the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat had been targeted in an "unacceptable attack" on international navigation and global energy security. He called it a "serious and explicit violation" of international law and said in a post on X that Qatar holds Iran "fully legally responsible".

Later on Tuesday, the UK maritime agency said an oil tanker was hit on its left side as it exited the strait near the Omani-Emirati border. A third tanker was struck by a drone off Oman, the agency added. The Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational body overseen by the US Navy, had told shippers on Monday that the route around Oman "has been expanded and remains available for all traffic". Ships heading north on the Iranian route must register with Tehran, while those travelling south work with Oman and the US.

US sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil had been in place since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. After the US and Israel launched the war, and after the closure of the strait, the US had authorised the temporary sale of Iranian oil at least twice as an incentive towards a deal. At the time, US Vice President JD Vance said long talks with senior Iranian officials in Switzerland had created a "good foundation for a successful final deal" to end the war. Meanwhile, talks between Iran and the US appeared to be on hold until after the burial of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the war.

The latest US strikes, the attacks on commercial tankers and the withdrawal of the oil licence together have deepened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, even as efforts to reopen the waterway and revive talks remain uncertain.

With PTI Inputs