The fragile peace agreement between Iran and the United States neared collapse on Tuesday as Tehran accused Washington of violating their truce and threatened swift military retaliation following overnight American airstrikes.
The fresh bombardment, which targeted Iranian mine-laying vessels and missile positions, sent global oil prices surging and triggered a commercial shipping incident in the region.
Following the announcement of the strikes by US Central Command, Brent crude prices spiked by nearly three percent. The sudden escalation prompted an immediate reaction from China, which issued an urgent appeal for both nations to honor the ceasefire and pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The military action coincided with a maritime security alert from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which reported that an “external explosion” had damaged a commercial oil tanker along its waterline off the coast of Oman. The monitor confirmed that the vessel and its crew remained safe.
Iranian state media reported powerful explosions overnight in the strategic southern port city of Bandar Abbas, located near the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Concurrently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed its air defense units successfully downed an American drone that crossed into Iranian airspace and engaged a US F-35 fighter jet.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a sharp rebuke condemning the military action.
”The US terrorist army, continuing its illegal and unjustified actions since the ceasefire … has, in the past 48 hours, committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region,” the ministry stated.
The statement added that Tehran “will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation.”
The escalation coincided with the commencement of the Eid al-Adha holiday, prompting a stern warning from Iran’s Supreme Leader.
”The United States, in addition to no longer having any safe haven in the region for aggression and the establishment of military bases, is moving further and further away from its former position with each passing day,” Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written address.
Khamenei further asserted that Washington’s geopolitical influence in the Middle East is rapidly deteriorating, and cautioned neighboring Arab states against hosting American military installations used to launch attacks against Iran.
Defending the military operations, US Central Command maintained that the operations were strictly preventive.
”US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” said US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins.