The U.S. military bombed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran against retaliating and threatened heavier attacks, as tensions escalated and two oil tankers were hit by projectiles of unknown origin while leaving the strait.
Washington links strikes to targeting attempts
U.S. Central Command said the strikes followed recent attempts by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to target commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. troops deployed in the area. No details were available on the specific sites hit or the extent of the resulting damage.
Trump warned that any Iranian response would be met with attacks he described as «much harsher and much more powerful», and also threatened to «wipe out Iran», saying a larger attack was still expected. According to the information available, there had been no direct Iranian comment on the strikes or the U.S. president’s threats.
Any Iranian response will be met with «much harsher and much more powerful» attacks.
Two oil tankers targeted
The escalation coincided with two oil tankers, one of them flying the Saudi flag, being hit by projectiles of unknown origin as they left the Strait of Hormuz. The party responsible for targeting the two vessels was not identified, and no information was available on the extent of the damage or possible casualties.
In a European position, the European Union stressed the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without restrictions or conditions, amid tensions surrounding commercial shipping through the waterway.
Parallel diplomatic moves
On a parallel diplomatic track, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country would take immediate reciprocal steps if the U.S. administration fulfilled its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said the faithful implementation of the understanding reached between the United States and Iran was the only way to move toward stability.
