U.S. Central Command announced Saturday that American forces carried out strikes against multiple Iranian targets following an attack on a Panama-flagged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz.
Centcom described the action as a direct response to ongoing Iranian aggression against commercial shipping in the region. “CENTCOM forces launched strikes today in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping,” the command said in a statement.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, through which a substantial share of global oil shipments pass. Iranian harassment of commercial vessels in the area has been a recurring flashpoint between Tehran and Western nations in recent years.
No additional details on the scope of the strikes or casualty assessments were immediately available. Further statements from Centcom or the Pentagon are expected as the situation develops. The Supreme Court recently ruled 6-3 that asylum seekers can be turned away before entering the U.S., another front in a broader series of consequential national security and foreign policy decisions facing the administration.