Iran Alleges Attacks on 85 US Military Locations After Hormuz Strikes

Tehran has asserted responsibility for launching assaults on 85 American military installations situated across Bahrain and Kuwait. This development comes on the heels of recent United States military actions targeting commercial ships within the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway.

According to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), these US strikes were executed with the aim of “impose heavy costs” upon Iran. CENTCOM stated this was a direct response to Iran's actions against commercial shipping vessels, which were transporting civilian personnel through an international maritime passage. The UK Maritime Trade Operations verified that several oil tankers became targets during these recent hostilities.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) characterized its current military engagement as a retaliatory measure. They claim it was in response to what they described as a breach of the ceasefire accord by the United States. A statement released by CENTCOM countered, asserting that “Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”

These recent strikes occurred mere hours after Washington declared its intention to re-impose sanctions on Iran, citing the attacks on commercial shipping in the area. This heightened aggression is a continuation of rekindled hostilities between both nations, stemming from mutual accusations of violating the conditions of a ceasefire agreement brokered in late June.

Just days following the signing of a peace accord between US President Donald Trump and Iran, CENTCOM had previously announced its execution of strikes against various targets within Iran. The command further elaborated that Iran was afforded a chance to uphold the ceasefire but failed, subsequent to its forces deploying a one-way drone attack on the MT Kiku, a tanker flying the Panama flag.

President Trump had previously issued a stern warning, stating that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist” should it persist in what he labeled as breaches of the peace agreement. Conversely, Iran leveled accusations against the US, claiming it violated the ceasefire by permitting ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon, an action Tehran argued contravened a specific term of their agreement.

Back on June 20, Iran had declared the Strait of Hormuz “closed” once more and similarly accused Washington of infringing upon the ceasefire's stipulations. The nation stated that any vessel wishing to traverse the vital waterway would need prior authorization and hinted at the potential introduction of fees for ships utilizing the passage. Presently, it is not confirmed if these declared shipping restrictions played a role in the recent assaults on vessels within the Strait of Hormuz.