The U.S. military said it launched large-scale airstrikes against Iran in response to Iran's attack on a merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the 7th (local time), U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, said on social media X that it "launched a series of powerful airstrikes to exact a heavy price for targeting a merchant ship in international waters with innocent civilians on board," adding, "Iran's attack is not only dangerous but also a clear violation of the cease-fire."
The United States and Iran agreed last month through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to halt mutual attacks, but ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz recently were struck in succession by forces believed to be Iranian.
The U.S. Treasury Department also revoked a sanctions waiver for sales of Iranian crude oil that day. It is seen as raising the level of warning by simultaneously ramping up economic and military pressure in response to Iran's repeated attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz.