The US military launched a series of strikes against Iranian targets early Wednesday after three merchant ships were struck in the waters off Oman. In a statement, 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.

Background

The new assaults in the fuel-shipping waterway were the most in a single day since late April, according to the UN International Maritime Organization. The fresh attacks threatened to choke off the flow of traffic in the strait just as countries hoped to restore normal shipping practices and ease the global economic strain of the war.

The US revoked a license that had authorized the sale of Iranian oil as part of an interim deal to end the fighting between the US and Iran. A US official said the license was revoked because Iran’s actions in the strait were unacceptable and needed to be met with consequences.

One tanker was traveling off the coast of Oman when it was hit and caught fire. The other two ships sustained some damage, but no one was injured, and both continued on their way. Tehran, which has repeatedly declared that only its approved route through the strait is safe, is suspected of attacking other ships that have used another route close to the Omani shore.

International Reaction

Qatar called the attack a violation of international law. Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat was targeted in an unacceptable attack on international navigation and global energy security.

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.