United States’ attempts to challenge Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz are causing increasing tensions and jeopardizing the recent memorandum of understanding to end the war.
The escalation began on June 23, when Oman announced an alternative route through the waterway along its shoreline in cooperation with the International Maritime Organization.
Two days after the announcement, a cargo ship, the Ever Lovely, was damaged in an attack off the Omani coast. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) held Iran responsible for the attack and used it as an excuse to escalate, ignoring the recent deal.
The command’s forces struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites the overnight of June 26 and 27. The strikes hit Sirik County and Qeshm Island in southern Iran.
The response from the Islamic Republic came fast. Within a few hours of the U.S. strikes, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy attacked “U.S. Army deployment sites in the region.” Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet base, acknowledged that it was attacked by Iranian drones.
The U.S. strikes didn’t deter Iran, however. Later on June 27, a tanker, the Kiku, was struck near Hormuz after attempting to pass without coordinating with the authorities of the Islamic Republic.
Overnight into June 28, CENTCOM announced another round of strikes against Iran, targeting surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities. Sirik County and Qeshm Island were again hit.
The IRGC Navy and Aerospace Forces responded with full force within a few hours, targeting Ali al-Salem base in Kuwait and at the Fifth Fleet naval base in Bahrain with missiles and drones. Both countries admitted coming under attack.
Later on June 28, it was reported that both the U.S. and Iran agreed to halt attacks, and will meet again in Qatar to discuss the Strait of Hormuz.
The escalation by the U.S. didn’t stop. On June 30, CENTCOM confirmed that the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit of the U.S Marine Corps arrived in the Middle East, in a stark violation of the recent deal with Iran which prohibits further military buildup as talks take place.
One the same day, a report by the Wall Street Journal revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump IS considering options for a return to full-scale war in Iran.
Indirect talks took place in the Qatari capital, Doha, on July 1, with Trump later even reporting progress. Nevertheless, the two sides didn’t agree on the future of the Strait of Hormuz or core nuclear issues. More escalation is to be expected and a return to a full-scale war remains likely.
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