The United States Central Command has confirmed the launch of new military strikes against Iran in what it says is an effort to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The confirmation comes after President Donald Trump threatened to escalate military action against Iran after the latter attacked commercial vessels in the Strait earlier this week – leading to a military escalation between both sides over the last 24 hours.
Iran is now likely to again target US interests in the region just as the United Nations is warning against a new military escalation.
Centcom says the United States was holding Iran accountable for what it called recent and unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway – a Strait Iran asserts falls under its sovereignty.
President Trump earlier indicated that in his view the ceasefire with Iran was over and hinted that strikes would continue as soon as Wednesday night into Thursday.
Iran has warned that it would retaliate against US interest in the region, leading to a new round of tit-for-tat actions likely to send the oil prices skyrocketing again.
The UN Secretary-General earlier called for both sides to return to diplomacy to resolve outstanding issues.
About the Author
