WASHINGTON — The United States launched additional military strikes against Iranian targets on Saturday after a drone struck a commercial oil tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) saying the operation was carried out in response to what it described as continued Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.
The latest strikes marked another escalation in a series of military exchanges that have tested a fragile ceasefire framework announced earlier this month. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supplies, has remained under heightened security scrutiny following repeated attacks on commercial vessels, prompting concerns over the safety of international maritime traffic.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces conducted the strikes "at the Commander in Chief's direction" after an Iranian one-way attack drone hit the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Kiku while it was transiting near the Strait of Hormuz. According to the U.S. military, the tanker was carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil when it was struck.
The U.S. military said its aircraft targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelaying capabilities. It did not immediately provide an assessment of damage resulting from the operation or report any casualties.
In its statement, CENTCOM said Iran had been given an opportunity to comply with the ceasefire after earlier U.S. strikes responding to a separate attack on the commercial vessel M/V Ever Lovely but instead launched another drone attack.
"CENTCOM forces launched strikes today in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping," the command said in the statement. It added that U.S. forces "remain vigilant, lethal, and ready" while commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz continue.
Iranian authorities did not immediately acknowledge responsibility for the reported drone strike on the tanker. Tehran has previously disputed U.S. accounts of incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and has accused Washington of violating understandings intended to reduce hostilities. Those competing claims could not be independently verified.
Maritime security agencies continued monitoring shipping movements in the area following the latest exchange. As of Saturday, U.S. officials said commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was continuing, while no updated official casualty figures or additional damage assessments had been released.
