US bombs Iran for second day after oil tanker attack near Strait of Hormuz, ceasefire collapses
The United States bombed Iran for the second consecutive day on Saturday, retaliating against an Iranian attack on an oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, both sides accusing each other of violating the fragile ceasefire signed on June 17.
Renewed hostilities
On Friday, the US carried out its first strikes on Iranian territory since the protocol of agreement between Washington and Tehran was signed on June 17. The strikes were in response to an Iranian attack on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military confirmed additional strikes against several targets in Iran on Saturday, targeting infrastructure.
Iranian retaliation
Iran claimed on Saturday morning that it had targeted American positions in the Gulf in retaliation for Friday's US strikes. This marks a return to the cycle of strikes and counter-strikes that the June 17 accord was meant to suspend.
Ceasefire in tatters
The protocol of agreement, signed just ten days earlier, appears to have collapsed entirely. Neither side has acknowledged responsibility for the initial tanker attack, and both accuse the other of breaking the ceasefire first.
Broader regional developments
In a separate but related development, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework accord, as reported by Mediapart. The agreement adds a new diplomatic layer to the tense Middle East landscape.
- US and Iran sign protocol of agreement (ceasefire)
- Iran attacks oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz; US strikes multiple targets in Iran
- Iran retaliates against US targets in Gulf
- US bombs Iran for second consecutive day
