The US military on Saturday struck 10 Iranian targets at President Donald Trump's direction, following an Iranian drone attack on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned that if the attacks continue, "the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist."
US strikes Iranian military infrastructure
US Central Command said in a social media post that US military aircraft targeted Iranian military "surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities" after an attack on a merchant vessel early Saturday morning. The strikes involved 10 Iranian military targets at multiple locations in and near the Strait of Hormuz.
In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump said the US had "struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!" He warned of a point where the US may no longer be able to be reasonable "and will be forced to militarily complete the job." "If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!" Trump wrote.
Oil tanker Kiku attacked by Iranian drone
US Central Command said Iranian forces attacked the oil tanker Kiku with a one-way drone. The tanker was laden with more than two million barrels of crude oil and sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to ship tracking websites, the Kiku left a Qatari oil field in the middle of the Persian Gulf earlier in the week and was bound for a port in the United Arab Emirates on the Gulf of Oman, just on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz. It appeared to be using a route near the coast of Oman that serves as an alternative to the route sanctioned by Iran through its own waters.
A multinational maritime body overseen by the US Navy said Saturday it would expand the Omani route to allow for both inbound and outbound traffic, likely setting up a new flashpoint with Tehran, which sees the strait as a key source of leverage in ongoing talks. The US military said "Iran had a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement" but "elected not to" when its forces attacked the Kiku.
Iran state TV reports explosions near Strait of Hormuz
Iran state TV reported explosions in an area just north of the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier on Saturday, Bahrain's Foreign Ministry said a "number of Iranian drones" targeted the country, calling the attack "a flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents." There were no immediate reports of damage.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issued a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency saying it had targeted several locations "of the US terrorist army in the region." It did not name what areas were targeted. Bahrain, home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet, has been one of the strongest critics of Iran. It just hosted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council's foreign ministers, which ended with a call for an end to Iran's attacks and for the strait to be completely open.
US and Iran negotiate ceasefire terms
US Vice President JD Vance, who has led negotiations with Iran, said on social media Friday night that Iran should "pick up the phone" if there are disagreements about the ceasefire agreement, "but violence will be met with violence." The US and Iran are negotiating terms of the deal including issues such as getting ships through the strait that's vital to global supplies of oil and natural gas and addressing the future of Iran's nuclear program and stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Under the interim deal, the two sides have 60 days to work out the details. Ending the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group is a key part of the deal. The incident follows a similar back and forth that occurred just days prior when an Iranian drone struck a merchant vessel off the coast of Oman on Thursday and the US military retaliated with strikes the next day.
Strait of Hormuz route expands amid tensions
The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a tanker was attacked Saturday in the strait, with the crew safe and no environmental damage reported. No one immediately claimed the strike, but suspicion fell on Iran. Just after that report, the Joint Maritime Information Center, overseen by the US Navy, said the route near Oman's shore is expanding to allow for inbound and outbound traffic.
Iran has insisted that ships must obey its orders and warned it will start charging fees for transit through the strait. However, ships have been increasingly trying to leave the Gulf in recent days. Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament's national security commission, wrote Friday that "the Strait of Hormuz is governed by Iran, so: Respect the rules." The US and Gulf Arab states have rejected Iran's demands. The strait is considered an international waterway, despite being the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.
The Joint Maritime Information Center warned that the threat to ships was "substantial," adding that "mariners are advised of the existence of mines and should expect a naval presence as clearance operations continue." The International Maritime Organization on Friday halted a new effort to evacuate ships, saying it won't resume until there are guarantees that the other ships won't be attacked. It said about 115 ships have been able to move out of the strait in recent days.
