Iran has claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on 85 United States military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, describing the operation as a response to fresh American military strikes linked to escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iranian authorities, the operation was carried out after the United States launched attacks following recent incidents involving commercial vessels navigating the strategic waterway.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said its military action was intended to impose significant costs on Iran after accusing Tehran of targeting commercial ships carrying civilian crews in international waters. The UK Maritime Trade Operations also confirmed that several oil tankers were attacked during the latest security incidents in the Gulf region.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) defended its military response, saying it was retaliation for what it described as a US breach of the ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, CENTCOM rejected Iran’s position, stating that Tehran’s actions were unjustified, dangerous, and amounted to a violation of the ceasefire.
The latest exchange of attacks came shortly after Washington announced plans to reimpose sanctions on Iran over alleged attacks on commercial shipping. The renewed confrontation follows weeks of growing friction between the two countries, with both sides accusing each other of failing to honour a ceasefire reached in late June.
The situation deteriorated only days after US President Donald Trump signed what was described as a peace agreement with Iran. Despite the agreement, CENTCOM later confirmed that it had launched strikes against several targets inside Iran, arguing that Tehran failed to uphold the ceasefire after Iranian forces allegedly carried out a one-way drone attack on the Panama-flagged tanker, MT Kiku.
President Trump had previously warned that Iran would face severe consequences if it continued actions that the United States considered violations of the peace deal. Tehran, however, accused Washington of failing to enforce the agreement by allowing continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which Iran argued breached the terms of the ceasefire.
On June 20, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed once again, alleging that the United States had violated the ceasefire. Iranian officials also declared that ships seeking to pass through the vital maritime route would require official permission and indicated that transit charges could be introduced.
It remains uncertain whether the reported restrictions on maritime traffic played a direct role in the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions continue to rise across the region.
