The US Central Command announced early Wednesday that it had begun implementing a “series of powerful strikes” against Iran, confirming that the operation came in response to Iranian attacks targeting three commercial ships that were crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
The command said in a statement that the strikes were intended to “impose a heavy price” for attacking commercial vessels carrying civilians in an international waterway, deeming the Iranian attacks “unjustified and dangerous,” and constituting “a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
In contrast, Iranian media reported hearing explosions in several areas in the south of the country, including the city of Sirik, Qeshm Island and the city of Bandar Abbas.
The Mehr News Agency, Fars News Agency, and Iranian television reported that several explosions were heard in those areas, but their source remains unknown. Iranian authorities have not yet announced any casualties or damage.
The new attacks would further complicate negotiations aimed at fully reopening the strait, curbing Iran’s controversial nuclear program, and achieving a permanent end to the war that erupted on February 28.
The latest exchange of attacks followed a similar wave of Iranian attacks on maritime shipping and the American response late last month.
Hours after three tankers were hit by shells, the United States revoked a license that had allowed the sale of Iranian oil, as part of the interim agreement aimed at ending the fighting between the United States and Iran.
According to the United Nations' International Maritime Organization, the latest attacks are the largest the region has seen in a single day since late April.
The recent attacks threaten to paralyze shipping in the strait, at a time when countries were hoping to restore shipping traffic to normal and alleviate global economic pressures resulting from the war.
