U.S. conducts second consecutive night of strikes on Iran after drone attacks on commercial vessels
U.S. Central Command said the overnight strikes targeted Iranian surveillance and air-defense sites in response to drone attacks on two commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about the fragility of a June cease-fire agreement.
The United States launched a second round of air strikes against Iranian military infrastructure on Saturday, saying the attacks were ordered by the commander-in-chief and were a direct response to what it described as continued Iranian aggression toward commercial shipping. The strikes hit surveillance installations, communication networks, air-defence sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities in southern Iran, near the village of Tahrui and the port of Sirik, where explosions were reported.
The operations followed reports that a Panama-flagged tanker, Kiku, was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday. According to U.S. Central Command, the vessel, carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil, was hit by a one-way attack drone but sustained no injuries or oil leakage. A similar incident on Thursday involved the Singapore-registered container ship Ever Lovely, which was also struck by a drone but continued its voyage.
"CENTCOM forces launched strikes today in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping," the command said in a statement.
U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media that the latest attacks could precede further military action if Iran does not meet Washington's expectations, adding that Iran had repeatedly violated the June 17 cease-fire memorandum.
"It is very possible that they will never learn. There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!"
The strikes come amid ongoing disputes over the interpretation of the cease-fire agreement, which calls for the uninterrupted flow of commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials argue that all vessels, even those in Omani waters, must coordinate with Iranian authorities, a view the United States disputes. Analysts warned that the fragile arrangement could unravel if tit-for-tat escalations continue, potentially affecting global oil markets.
