U.S. launches strikes against Iran over attacks on 3 ships in Strait of Hormuz

Washington — U.S. forces began launching strikes Tuesday against Iran to retaliate for the regime's attacks connected commercialized ships, U.S. Central Command said. 

The retaliatory strikes are successful effect to attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps implicit the past 2 days connected 3 commercialized vessels that were traveling done the Strait of Hormuz. 

"Iran's demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a wide usurpation of the ceasefire," U.S. Central Command said successful a statement posted connected X.  

The attacks connected the 3 tankers successful the strait, which were confirmed by 2 U.S. officials, marked a crisp escalation that threatens to unravel the fragile diplomatic effort aimed astatine restoring information to 1 of the world's astir important maritime chokepoints. 

The Iranian attacks connected the commercialized shipping vessels travel connected the heels of Iran's drone strike connected a Singapore-flagged commercialized vas past week and conscionable aft Washington and Tehran had agreed to suspend hostilities and prosecute indirect negotiations implicit maritime information pursuing months of subject confrontation. 

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations bureau issued warnings of 1 onslaught connected Monday and 2 Tuesday without naming the vessels targeted.  

One of the attacks was carried retired by an uncrewed aerial conveyance oregon drone, according to the advisories, portion the different 2 tankers were targeted by chartless projectiles. No casualties were reported. 

In a statement Tuesday, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it condemned the Islamic Republic of Iran's targeting of the Vijian, a Saudi tanker, and Rakiyat, a Qatari tanker.

The U.S. connected Tuesday besides revoked Iran's wide licence to export lipid successful effect to Iran's strikes against the 3 vessels. 

"The Office of Foreign Assets Control is revoking GL X, which authorized the merchantability of Iranian oil," a U.S. authoritative told CBS News. "As President Trump and the medication person repeatedly affirmed, the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) successful effect with Iran is wholly performance-based." 

The U.S. authoritative added: "Iran volition lone reap benefits if they grounds bully behavior. Iran's actions successful the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and volition beryllium met with consequences. Our negotiators proceed to enactment successful bully religion towards a last deal."

James LaPorta, Kristin Brown and Richard Escobedo contributed to this report.