Washington: The United States on Tuesday launched a new wave of CENTCOM air strikes on more than 80 Iranian military targets and simultaneously revoked a key Treasury licence allowing Tehran to sell oil, sharply escalating pressure after Iran allegedly attacked three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a development marking Washington’s strongest military response since the ceasefire reached with Tehran last month, American forces targeted Iranian air defence systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats operating in and around the strategic waterway.
CENTCOM said the operation was carried out as “an immediate response to Iran’s latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
The command said the strikes were intended to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through one of the world’s busiest maritime trade corridors.
According to the Pentagon, Iran recently attacked three commercial vessels transiting the strait — the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan and the Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.
“The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM said.
The military also warned that additional action remained possible if Tehran continued violating the agreement.
“CENTCOM forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable when the agreement is not adhered to or obeyed,” it said.
Hours before announcing the strikes, the Treasury Department revoked General License X, issued on June 21, replacing it with General License X1. The move immediately ended the authorisation that had temporarily allowed the production, delivery and sale of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical products as part of the ceasefire arrangement.
The new licence permits only a limited wind-down period through July 17 for transactions previously authorised. It expressly bars any new purchases or loading of Iranian crude oil, petroleum or petrochemical products after July 7.
The military operation and the restoration of oil sanctions underscore the Trump administration’s decision to combine military and economic pressure in response to what it says were Iranian violations of the ceasefire.
(IANS)
