US Launches Strikes Against Iran in Retaliation for Vessel Attacks

The U.S. began a "series of powerful strikes" against Iran on Tuesday in retaliation for Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said.

"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 in a post to X. "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 new U.S. and Iranian attacks threaten to reignite conflict in the region, and could spark fears that the Strait of Hormuz will close again. Oil prices rose dramatically during the U.S.-Iran conflict, stoking inflation around the globe.

The strikes come after the U.S. and Iran traded blows last month after similar Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the strait, which is one of the world's most critical chokepoints that Iran held shut for months this year. Both sides agreed to stand down in the days following last month's exchange amid a tenuous ceasefire as negotiations to end the war are underway.

Washington and Tehran agreed on a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict in June, which included an end to the fighting and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The latest U.S. retaliatory strikes will again test that agreement, which has held through previous skirmishes.

Tensions have been rising since Iran attacked vessels moving through the strait earlier this week, with the U.S. revoking a sanctions waiver on Iranian oil earlier Tuesday. Oil futures have risen sharply in response to the pressure.

The U.S. war with Iran began on Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel began strikes on the country that killed its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that the goal of the war is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, which is one of the subjects of negotiations under the MOU.

Trump is currently in Ankara, Turkey, for the NATO summit, meeting with leaders of the transatlantic alliance. Turkey shares a border with Iran.