The recent escalation in the Middle East began with Thursday’s attack by Iran on a merchant ship near the Strait of Hormuz, which US President Donald Trump described as a “stupid violation” of the original agreement to end the war.
The US military then carried out strikes against Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. “U.S. aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar sites,” Centcom said in a statement. “The Iranian military’s unwarranted attack on a commercial vessel is a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
Following this, the Iranian government announced on Saturday that it had launched attacks on US military targets. Iranian state media Press TV reported that the country’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted US military positions, and the Foreign Ministry accused the US of violating the agreement.
The U.S. military has not confirmed the attack, but it is the first exchange since the memorandum of understanding was signed last week.
US officials have previously downplayed the possibility of escalation after recent attacks in the region, telling CNN that it does not reflect a return to large-scale combat operations, at least for now.
CNN has reached out to the White House and CENTCOM for comment.
