US strikes Iran for a second night after tanker hit in Strait of Hormuz
US Central Command launched a second consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military infrastructure around Sirik and Qeshm Island on Saturday, hitting what it described as surveillance and communications systems, air defences, drone storage and minelaying capabilities, according to Al Jazeera . The strikes followed a drone attack early Saturday on the Panama-flagged tanker Kiku, carrying more than two million barrels of crude through the Strait of Hormuz; no injuries or spill were reported.
The exchanges are unwinding the memorandum signed on June 17 that was meant to end the war. Washington casts the attacks on shipping as Iranian violations; Tehran treats the US strikes as breaches of the same deal. Core disputes over control of the Strait and procedures for clearing vessels remain unresolved.
President Trump warned that continued violations could force a wider response, saying there “may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job.” With each side framing the other’s actions as the violation, analysts warn the tit-for-tat carries a real risk of slipping back into open conflict.