Attacks and sanctions put Iran agreements to the test

The situation at a glance

Attacks and sanctions put Iran agreements to the test

Washington blames Tehran for renewed attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz – and counters with sanctions and new attacks. The timing of the attacks is explosive.

The USA have responded to attacks against tankers in the Strait of Hormuz goals again Iran bombed. The USA is also reinstating sanctions on Iranian oil. Tehran immediately condemned Washington’s actions as a “serious violation” of the framework agreement to end the war. Iran will “take decisive measures to protect its national interests and security,” wrote Deputy Foreign Minister Kasem Gharibabadi on the X platform.

Iranian media reported explosions in the port city of Sirik on the Strait of Hormuz and on the island of Qeshm during the night. There were also reports of explosions in the area of ​​the large city of Bandar Abbas. According to the Iranian broadcaster Press TV, several people were injured.

US President Donald Trump have the plan to strike against Iran during its participation in the ongoing NATO summit in the Türkiye approved, well-connected journalist Barak Ravid reported on X, citing a U.S. government official. The renewed escalation occurred during the ongoing funeral ceremonies for Iran’s slain head of state Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Today there are ceremonies in the neighboring country Iraq planned before Khamenei is to be buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.

The Islamic Republic’s armed forces warned their enemies of attacks shortly before the funeral ceremonies began. “Any miscalculation will be met with a decisive and even tougher response than ever before,” said a statement from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s elite military force. In addition, the leadership in Tehran has repeatedly stated in recent days that only a route specified by Iran through the Strait of Hormuz is safe. Now several tankers in the strait came under fire again.

Particularly severe damage was reported by the Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker “Al-Rekayyat”, which, according to the ship’s crew, was hit by an “unknown projectile”. Qatar blamed Iran for the attack and spoke of a threat to the security of international shipping and global energy supplies. A US official described the subsequent attacks by the US military to the US broadcaster CNN as a “punishment”. They would continue for a while.

Tehran should pay a high price for the attacks on merchant ships, said the US military’s regional command (Centcom). Iran’s actions were unfounded, dangerous and a violation of the ceasefire. The US military attacked, among other things, air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems and drone positions, the US news portal “Axios” quoted a US government official as saying. The attacks were four or five times stronger than attacks around a week and a half ago.