Despite an existing ceasefire, the United States and Iran have again engaged in serious military clashes in the Gulf region. According to the U.S. Central Command (Centcom), U.S. forces attacked Iranian military facilities believed to be responsible for a series of unprovoked missile, drone, and speedboat attacks against American warships. The attacks reportedly occurred when U.S. destroyers were transiting the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman. The facilities targeted by the U.S. military included missile and drone launch sites, command and control centers, as well as reconnaissance and observation stations. A U.S. official stated that the military strikes took place at multiple locations, including Bandar Abbas and Qeshm.
Conversely, a spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces claimed that U.S. airstrikes had hit civilian areas along the coasts of Qeshm Island, Bandar Khamir, and Sirik. Iran asserts that the U.S. violated the ongoing ceasefire by attacking an Iranian oil tanker while it was en route to the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran claimed it had taken “countermeasures” attacking U.S. warships located east of the Strait and south of the Chabahar port.