3 oil tankers attacked in Strait of Hormuz in 24 hours; Qatar holds Iran ‘legally responsible’
The Strait of Hormuz was declared open for maritime traffic after last month's signing of an MoU between the US and Iran.
The US military “completed” a new wave of strike against Iran, hitting more than 80 targets, on Tuesday, the US Central Command said in a statement.
The Donald Trump-led administration has even revoked a license allowing Tehran to sell oil in retaliation for attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, putting pressure on the already fragile ceasefire, Reuters reported.
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🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷 Flight data reveals the strike operation’s scale: over a DOZEN U.S. military aircraft circling the Gulf as attacks continue…
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-At least 12 U.S. Air Force refueling planes and a Navy P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft were tracked circling off the UAE coast and in the… https://t.co/gbbCDABF0R pic.twitter.com/fC0S10XMNB
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 8, 2026
A day after huge crowds mourned Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Qom, the US Central Command stated that it has completed major strikes targeting over 80 targets in an effort to impose what it called heavy costs.
The military command claimed to have hit more than 60 small boats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in an effort to degrade Tehran’s ability to attack commercial shipping.
“The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 8, 2026
Denouncing the US strikes as a “blatant act of aggression,” Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has now threatened a “crushing response”. Further, it warned that Tehran would not allow US interference in the management of the strait.
As per local media reports, explosions were heard early Wednesday (local time) on Iran’s main oil hub of Kharg Island, on Qeshm Island and in the southern port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
So far, no civilian deaths have been reported, but multiple people were said to be injured by shrapnel from an “enemy projectile” that hit a commercial pier in Sirik.
Also, the US strikes struck fishing piers in Sirik and in Bandar Abbas, setting several fishing boats on fire.
🚨 JUST IN: The Pentagon confirms the US military struck OVER 80 targets in Iran via precision strikes tonight after the regime attacked multiple civilian vessels in the Strait
They’ve released the attached video of the strikes
“U.S. forces struck Iranian air defense systems,… pic.twitter.com/CO9yMhN4bn
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 8, 2026
Iran’s Press TV informed that multiple blasts rocked Kharg Island in southern Iran, but did not provide details on the cause of the explosions, possible damage or casualties.
The CENTCOM statement did not mention Kharg Island, from which Iran exports 90 per cent of its crude oil. The US last attacked this island in April.
A US official told Reuters that the strikes targeted Iranian air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and drone launch sites.
Under the interim US-Iran agreement, the US Treasury earlier issued a June 22 general license that allowed the sale of crude oil as well as petrochemical and petroleum products of Iranian origin through August 21. It has now revoked the license and gave Iran time until July 17 to wind down any transactions, reports said.
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