The United States Central Command announced on Sunday that it launched retaliatory strikes against Iran after Tehran attacked multiple Gulf states and fired at vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes began at 5 p.m. ET and are intended to degrade Iran's capability to target civilian mariners and commercial ships in the area.
This announcement follows Iran's widening attacks across the Gulf region, which included targeting Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. This escalation came after the U.S. conducted strikes on Iranian targets in response to an Iranian missile attack on a Cyprus-flagged merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
A U.S. official indicated that a larger wave of attacks was anticipated following the initial strikes. Reports indicated that strikes were still ongoing over three hours after the announcement, and a security guard was killed in southwest Iran due to a projectile hitting a water pumping station.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for CENTCOM, stated that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired at commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz shortly after the U.S. announcement. CENTCOM and Iranian leaders provided conflicting reports regarding the status of the Strait, with Iranian officials claiming it was closed. CENTCOM asserted that Iran does not control the Strait and that it remains an international waterway.
In response to the attacks, oil prices increased. CENTCOM also denied claims made by Iranian state media regarding the deaths of three American soldiers in the strikes on Kuwait. President Donald Trump has not yet commented on the situation.