The United States Central Command (Centcom) reported that it carried out a new series of attacks against Iranian positions during the day of Saturday, June 27. This as a measure of retaliation for the aggression against a tanker flying the flag of Panama, the second Iranian offensive against a commercial vessel since Washington and Tehran signed a peace agreement.
It should be recalled that the container ship Ever Lovely was hit by an “unidentified object” on Thursday, June 25, at the time the unit was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. The shipping company Evergreen assured that the vessel managed to leave the area despite the damage and that its crew members were not injured.
“Centcom forces conducted additional strikes against multiple targets in Iran on June 27, under the direction of the Commander in Chief. Following yesterday’s (Friday 26) strikes by the U.S. in response to Iranian aggression against the motor vessel Ever Lovely, Iran was given the opportunity to respect the ceasefire agreement, but chose not to do so when its forces launched a one-way attack drone that struck the tanker Kiku this morning at 4:30 a.m. (Eastern time),” Centcom reported.
“The tanker, flying the flag of Panama, was transiting near the Strait of Hormuz with more than two million barrels of crude oil. Centcom forces launched strikes today (Saturday 27) in direct response to the continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping. U.S. military aircraft struck Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and maritime mining capabilities,” it added.
The vessel, launched in 2006, has a length of 333 meters, a beam of 60 meters, and a deadweight tonnage of 300,866 tons. It was reported that the ship was approximately 22 nautical miles from Ras al-Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates, when it was hit. The captain communicated to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) that the crew was safe, but that the unit had suffered damage.
“Transits of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz continue. U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” the Centcom statement concluded.
It should be recalled that in response to the attack on the Ever Lovely, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) suspended the evacuation of hundreds of vessels and thousands of crew members stranded in the conflict zone since February 28.
Meanwhile, following the aggression against the Evergreen vessel, Tehran reaffirmed its right to control navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and warned its Gulf neighbors not to align with the United States.
