The United States has carried out a new wave of large-scale airstrikes against Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz, marking its biggest military operation against Iran since the ceasefire reached in April. According to US officials, the latest offensive was four to five times larger than previous retaliatory strikes conducted in late June and targeted more than 80 military sites, including air defence systems, command and control centres, coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile positions, drone launch facilities, port infrastructure, and over 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats. The operation was launched in response to recent attacks on commercial vessels in the strategically important waterway, while reports indicated multiple explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Qeshm Island.
US officials said the strikes were intended to significantly weaken Iran’s ability to threaten international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) described the operation as a direct response to attacks on commercial ships and stated that precision-guided munitions were used against key military assets. Reports also claimed that President Donald Trump approved the operation while attending the NATO summit in Turkey. At the same time, Washington revoked a temporary sanctions waiver on Iranian oil exports after several tankers were reportedly attacked, further increasing pressure on Tehran and raising concerns that the renewed confrontation could undermine the fragile understanding recently reached between the two countries.
Iran strongly condemned the airstrikes, calling them a blatant act of aggression and accusing the United States of violating their recent memorandum of understanding. The Iranian military warned of a “crushing response” and insisted that only routes designated by Iran are safe for commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Senior Iranian leaders, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, accused Washington of breaching its commitments and vowed that Iran would not yield to pressure. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian cut short his visit to Iraq and returned to Tehran following the strikes, as funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei continued and fears grew that the renewed military escalation could further destabilise the region and disrupt global trade.
