The US has launched a fourth round of strikes against Iran this week in response to attacks on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“At 5 p.m. ET today, US Central Command forces began launching additional strikes against Iran to continue degrading its ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable,” CENTCOM said in a statement on X on Sunday.
Iranian media reported explosions in the southern part of the country, including in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Jask, as well as on Qeshm Island. The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as “war crimes,” according to Press TV.
The latest escalation has put further strain on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) the two countries signed on June 17. Since then, both sides have accused each other of violating the accord. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that it would keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed to all shipping until the US ends its “illegal interventions” in the region.
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, denounced “one-sided deals,” warning the US to “keep your word or pay the price.”
CENTCOM said US forces had struck more than 300 military targets over the previous three nights. On Sunday, Iran responded by launching missiles at five Gulf Arab states that host American bases.
The US and Iran have clashed over the interpretation of the MoU’s provisions on the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and LNG trade.
Under the agreement, Iran pledged to use “its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge” for 60 days and negotiate with Oman over “the future administration and maritime services” in the strait. Iran has insisted that it has the right to regulate traffic and collect tolls, saying ships must pass through a designated route.
The US, meanwhile, has demanded that Iran declare the strait fully open and has guided vessels along a route near the Omani coast, which the IRGC has denounced as “illegal.”