The standoff between the United States and Iran, centered on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a large share of the world's oil passes, has continued this month with strikes moving in both directions.
U.S. Central Command said American forces carried out strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets, including facilities near Kermanshah, in response to attempted attacks on commercial shipping in the strait and on U.S. troops stationed in the region. Iranian state media reported that the American strikes also affected a wedding gathering at a home in Kuhestak, in Hormozgan province, with a number of civilian casualties reported. Earlier in the month, Iran's military had launched drones and missiles at air bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates that host U.S. personnel and equipment, describing the strikes as retaliation for earlier American action inside Iran.
The exchange follows a period earlier this summer when officials on both sides described a possible deal, including an arrangement covering passage through the strait, as close. That framework, known as the Islamabad Memorandum, was signed in June. Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has said his country remains willing to return to that memorandum if the United States does the same, even as fighting has continued. The U.S. Treasury Department has also imposed sanctions on 27 Iranian airlines, including flag carrier Iran Air, as part of a broader effort to increase economic pressure on Iran.
The disruption to shipping in the Gulf has been a recurring theme this year. Oman's navy said it rescued 16 crew members from a Saudi-flagged oil tanker that came under attack in regional waters, one of several incidents affecting commercial vessels moving through the area. Insurers and shippers have continued to reroute or delay some cargo through the Gulf as a result of the naval blockade that was reimposed earlier this year.
Diplomats from several countries with interests in Gulf shipping are expected to continue pressing both Washington and Tehran to find a way back to the June framework, given the risks the standoff poses to global energy and shipping markets.
What is the Islamabad Memorandum?
It is a framework agreement signed in June between Iran and the United States covering issues including passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which officials on both sides had described as a path toward de-escalation.
Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter?
It is one of the world's most important waterways for oil shipments, so disruptions there can affect global energy prices and shipping schedules.