U.S. Military Strikes Iranian Targets Following Oil Tanker Attacks
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that the military has carried out several retaliatory strikes against Iran, following an attack on a commercial oil tanker by the Islamic Republic.
On Saturday, the Iranian military deployed a one-way attack drone against the Panamanian-flagged M/T Kiku, according to CENTCOM, though further details on the vessel’s condition have not been disclosed.
This incident came shortly after Iran targeted a Singapore-flagged ship on Thursday, which managed to continue its journey despite the attack.
In response to these provocations, CENTCOM initiated its attacks on Friday and resumed again on Saturday.
“After yesterday’s U.S. strike in response to Iran’s attack on the M/V Everlovely, Iran was given the chance to adhere to the ceasefire, but chose not to when they launched an attack drone at 4:30 a.m. ET this morning, hitting the M/T Kiku,” the command stated on Saturday.
The M/T Kiku was navigating near the Strait of Hormuz and was transporting over 2 million barrels of crude oil, CENTCOM noted.
“CENTCOM forces launched today’s strikes in direct response to ongoing assaults on commercial shipping,” the report indicated.
The targets included military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense facilities, and drone storage locations.
In a recent post, CENTCOM reported that strikes had been conducted against ten Iranian military targets.
“U.S. Navy and Air Force aircraft have targeted ten military sites in and around the Strait of Hormuz, in retaliation for Iran’s drone strikes on M/T Kiku,” the command remarked.
Despite the military action, CENTCOM asserted that commercial shipping continued to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump has warned that ongoing aggression from Iran may compel the U.S. to take more decisive military actions.
“U.S. aircraft just attacked Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar facilities, violating the ceasefire agreement!” he posted on Truth Social.
“It is very likely they will never learn! We may reach a point when remaining rational isn’t possible, and we will have to fully complete the job we began. If that occurs, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” he added.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media claimed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had targeted U.S. military installations in Gulf states like Kuwait and Bahrain.
A representative from the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense confirmed that two ballistic missiles were spotted in its airspace, but there were no damages or injuries reported from their interception, according to an Arabic post from the Kuwaiti military.
Additionally, the Bahrain’s Interior Ministry stated that while there were no casualties, some residential buildings suffered damage during the airstrikes.
The recent wave of hostilities raises questions about the durability of the ceasefire agreement established between the U.S. and Iran, which stipulates a 60-day window for finalizing a new accord.
