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Iran accused the United States on Tuesday of violating a tenuous seven-week ceasefire by striking military targets near the contested Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian foreign ministry labelled the American air strikes in the southern Hormozgan province a “gross violation” of the truce, warning that the attack could severely complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts to bring the regional war to a close.
The U.S. government quickly defended the operation as purely defensive, stating that its forces targeted missile sites and boats attempting to lay mines in the strategic waterway.
Following the strikes, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised that the Strait of Hormuz must reopen, though he indicated that negotiators might still finalise an initial agreement within a few days to halt hostilities and restart global shipping.
The flare-up immediately impacted global energy markets, pushing benchmark Brent crude futures up 3.5 per cent to around $100 a barrel.
In response to the raid, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced that they reserve the right to retaliate, claiming their air defence units had already downed an American drone.
The escalation heavily strains peace talks just as negotiators attempt to finalise a 30-day framework to halt the conflict and settle disputes over $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds.
