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The United States announced early morning strikes on Iran, as the two sides continue to fight over control questions in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Sunday, the US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, indicated that the latest fusillade was designed to weaken Iranian power.
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It also highlighted President Donald Trump’s role in approving the protests.
“At 5 p.m. ET today (21:00 GMT), US Central Command forces launched a series of strikes against Iran to continue to destroy its ability to attack submarines and commercial vessels that freely pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” the command said in a summary.
“The Supreme Leader has ordered the Iranian military to respond.”
Iranian media reported that explosions occurred in areas near the Strait of Hormuz, including Sirik, Qeshm Island, Jask, and areas west of Bandar Abbas.
The governor of Hormozgan province, which borders the river, said no civilians had been injured so far.
Sunday’s attack is the latest step in a new confrontation between the US and Iran, which began on July 7.
Three strikes were carried out in the past week alone, including on Saturday night, when the US Central Command said it hit about 140 Iranian military units.
The targets reportedly included Iran’s facilities for drones, missiles, weapons, surveillance and naval operations.
Iran has responded by attacking US military bases across the Middle East, including sites in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.
The exchange of fire has raised questions about the memorandum of understanding (MOU) the US and Iran signed last month, calling for an “immediate and permanent” end to all weapons.
The memorandum was created as a starting point for future negotiations between the two sides as they try to end the war that the US and Israel launched on February 28.
But the sticking point was the Strait of Hormuz, an important seaway through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas flowed before the war.
Since the start of the war in February, global oil prices have risen, as Iran has blocked trade through the waterway.
Under the 14 points of the memorandum, Iran had to make “efforts” to allow commercial trade through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days, free of charge.
The memorandum also established a plan for Iran to “hold talks” with another bordering country, Oman, “to define future navigation and maritime activities” in the waterway.
However, in recent weeks, Iran has launched drones at various ships and tankers that pass through the river, saying that the ships sometimes ignored warnings about illegal routes.
It sees the issue as a question of jurisdiction, since the Strait of Hormuz falls within its waters.
The Trump administration has indicated that it views drone strikes as a violation of the treaty, and has responded with military action — the first time in two days at the end of June, and four times in the past week, including Sunday.
US Central Command, for example, to point to the attack on the Cyprus-registered vessel M/V GFS Galaxy as the reason for Saturday’s deadly attack. Although the drone attack was not fatal, the Galaxy strike reportedly left a crew member missing.
Iran said on Saturday it had also closed the Strait of Hormuz to navigation. The US has it to be kept it remains open.
“Iran is not controlling traffic. Traffic is moving,” US Central Command wrote earlier this week.
On social media post On Friday, Trump tweeted that he considered the ceasefire outlined in the memorandum to be “over”. However, in the same message, he indicated that the talks between the two sides will continue.
Ahead of the latest US attack on Sunday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both sides to exercise “extreme restraint” and to “refrain from further actions”.
He and UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric called for the talks to continue and for maritime traffic to be restored in the Strait of Hormuz. As many as 6,000 seafarers continue to be trapped in the water because of the conflict, according to the United Nations.
Faced with fears that the latest attacks could spark a regional war, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei responded by calling on countries in the region to stop supporting the US military.
He delivered his message to Dujarric, the UN spokesman.
“You need to encourage the countries in question to stop allowing the United States to use their territories as a launching pad for aggression against Iran,” Baghaei said.
“I should not blame Iran for defending its sovereignty while failing to prosecute those who violate international law.”
He also said that US military presence in the Middle East was justified, as Iran has “the right to self-defense under international law”.
