The US military launched a set of strikes against targets in Iran Tuesday evening after attacks on three commercial tanker ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes were launched to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians, according to US Central Command.
Background
The attacks on the tankers were reported by maritime authorities, with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center receiving a report of an early morning attack on the Al Rekayyat, 8 miles east of Limah, Oman. Two other vessels were also attacked in the strait, with one being hit by an unidentified projectile while exiting the strait, and another being hit by a drone 6 miles off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.
The US Treasury Department also revoked an authorization that allowed Iran to legally export its oil, with businesses having until July 17 to wind down existing transactions authorized under the June license. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the move was a clear violation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the US and Iran last month.
The strikes and the revocation of the oil authorization are the latest setbacks to the beleaguered peace process between Washington and Tehran. The two sides are in the middle of a 60-day window, outlined in the memorandum, reserved for direct negotiations over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and possible sanctions relief.
Original reporting: WMAL (Washington DC) — read the source article.
