West Asia enraged amid Khamenei’s funeral, Iran, upset by American action, warned of ‘decisive response’
Dubai. The fear of a widespread military conflict has once again deepened in West Asia. The US military launched massive “retaliatory air strikes” against Iran early Wednesday in response to attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Along with this, America has also canceled with immediate effect the special license allowing Iran to sell crude oil in US dollars in the international market. Immediately after this US military action, Iran retaliated by launching missile attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, after which both the Gulf countries activated their air defense systems and issued a high alert on Wednesday morning.
America’s major military and economic loss
According to the statement issued by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), US forces completed a new round of offensive strikes against Iran on July 7. More than 80 Iranian targets were targeted with precision weapons to “extort a heavy price” for attacks on commercial shipping. The US strikes destroyed Iran’s air defense systems, radar, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air and anti-ship missile sites. It also destroyed more than 60 small boats used by the Iranian paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which played a key role in harassing ships in the waterway.
A US official reported that the action was 4 to 5 times more powerful than the attacks carried out 10 days earlier. Iran’s state media has also confirmed massive explosions in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm and Sirik. Along with the military attack, America has canceled the license given to Iran to sell oil in the open market under the interim agreement. Through this license, Iran was allowed to sell oil legally after years. Iran has long been suspected of secretly selling banned oil to China at low prices.
Which ships were targeted?
US Central Command informed that Iran had recently targeted three commercial ships passing through international waterways.
The Marshall Islands-flagged Qatari ship was en route to Oman when it was attacked and caught fire.
Saudi Arabian flag tanker
Liberian flagged commercial ship
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the other two ships suffered partial damage, but there were no casualties and they continued on their way.
Outrage erupts amid Khamenei’s funeral
This entire incident has happened at a time when programs related to the funeral of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are going on. Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli strikes at the beginning of the war on 28 February. Tensions were supposed to remain low during this period of mourning, but the crowd in Tehran “called for the assassination” of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, when the attacks took place on Wednesday, President Trump was in Turkey for the NATO summit.
Crisis looms on agreement, Iran warns
This latest military confrontation threatens to completely break the interim agreement to stop the war. After Khamenei’s funeral, the last round of talks were to begin between the two countries to completely open the Strait of Hormuz and curb Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the US attacks, calling it a serious violation of paragraphs one and two of the memorandum of understanding. Iran’s Central Military Command has called it a “terrorist act” and warned of a ‘decisive response’. Speaker of Iran’s Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on ‘X’, “The era of bullying and extortion is over. This will not yield any results. We will not bow down.”
Sirens and alerts in Bahrain and Kuwait
In response to the American attacks, Iran targeted the Gulf countries where the US military is present. In Bahrain, which is the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, sirens warning of a missile attack echoed early on Wednesday. At the same time, Kuwait’s army also issued a statement saying that its air defense systems are engaged in stopping possible Iranian missile attacks in the air.
Dispute over control of waterways
The Strait of Hormuz is extremely important for global energy supplies, through which a large part of the world’s oil trade passes. Under the interim agreement, both countries had agreed to allow ships to pass duty free for 60 days. However, Tehran is demanding control over this entire route and charging future fees, which the US and Gulf Arab countries are strongly opposing. The latest attacks have once again put this entire region on the receiving end.
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