US hits 140 sites in Iran after attack on commercial vessel

The United States launched a third round of military strikes against Iran this week, striking around 140 military targets in response to an alleged Iranian attack on a commercial vessel flying the Cyprus flag in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that the new operation targeted Iranian missile and drone installations, naval capabilities, ammunition depots, communication networks and coastal surveillance facilities.

CENTCOM said more than 300 military targets have been attacked over the last three nights to impair Iran’s capacity to threaten commercial ships in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.

The latest strikes came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards attacked a container ship registered to Cyprus, the US military said. The yacht was believed to have caught fire, sustained serious damage to the engine room and one crew member is missing.“The operation was conducted under the direction of the President of the United States,” CENTCOM said, adding that Iran had been given opportunity to comply with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the safety of commercial shipping but failed to do so.

The US military also stated its soldiers had helped more than 800 commercial boats carrying almost 400 million barrels of oil safely through the Strait of Hormuz since early May.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency also reported a maritime security incident around nine nautical miles east of Oman but gave no further details immediately.

Iran has responded by saying it will close the Strait of Hormuz till further notice. Iranian state television reported the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said one ship tried to utilise a “unauthorised route” via the strait and was fired upon with warning shots.

The IRGC warned that no ships would be allowed to pass through the strait until further notice, and vowed a “severe response” if foreign forces used the incident as an excuse for additional military action.

The latest flare-up comes amid mounting tensions between Washington and Tehran over navigational rights and security in one of the world’s most important energy shipping lanes.