Srinagar, Jun 28: The United States carried out strikes on multiple targets inside Iran for the second consecutive night on Saturday after accusing Tehran of violating the ceasefire by launching a drone attack on an oil tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, further escalating tensions and pushing the fragile truce closer to collapse, reports said.
According to the US military, Iran targeted the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Kiku, which was carrying nearly two million barrels of crude oil. The vessel sustained damage in the alleged attack, though all crew members were reported safe.
In response, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US Navy and Air Force fighter aircraft struck 10 Iranian military targets in and around the Strait of Hormuz, including surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities and mine-laying capabilities. CENTCOM also released video footage of the operation on its official X account.
The command said Iran had been given “a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement” following Friday’s US strikes but “elected not to” when its forces allegedly launched a one-way drone that struck the M/T Kiku.
The latest action followed US strikes a day earlier on Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions after Washington accused Tehran of attacking a commercial cargo vessel in the strategic waterway.
While noting that commercial shipping continues through the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM said US forces remain “vigilant, lethal, and ready.”
US President Donald Trump issued a strongly worded warning to Tehran, saying Iran would “no longer exist” if the United States was forced to resume the war.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN! It is very possible that they will never learn! There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”
Iran responded with equally sharp rhetoric, warning that American military bases across the Gulf region would “experience hell” in the coming days.
According to Reuters, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said the US strikes near Sirik would not weaken Iran’s grip over the Strait of Hormuz.
“American blind shots at Sirik do not solve the mystery of our control over the Strait of Hormuz, but our shots at violators remind other vessels of the terms of passage through the strait,” the commander said, adding, “The reckoning for American bases in the region is a separate matter. They will experience hell in the coming days.”
The latest escalation has once again placed the Middle East on edge. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they had “destroyed” eight key US military facilities at the Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait and the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain in retaliation for the American strikes.
The Guards warned that “any enemy aggression, whatever the pretext, even against insignificant targets, will have a crushing response.”
Kuwaiti authorities said their air defence systems intercepted hostile missiles and drones targeting the country. The Kuwaiti Army urged residents to remain calm, stating that any explosion sounds were the result of interceptions by air defence systems. Air raid sirens were also activated in parts of the Gulf region as residents were advised to move to the nearest safe locations.
