"a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway," CENTCOM wrote on X.
CENTCOM: scale and targets of the U.S. response
U.S. Central Command announced it launched "a series of powerful strikes" against Iran on July 7, describing the strikes as an immediate response to "Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz." In a later update, CENTCOM said it had completed strikes that hit "over 80 targets with precision munitions," including Iranian air defense systems, command-and-control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities and "more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait."
UKMTO and JMIC: the three tankers that triggered the response
Multinational maritime reporting bodies documented the incidents that CENTCOM cited. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) and the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported three separate attacks on tankers transiting the strait.
- A tanker reported being attacked six nautical miles east of the Musandam Peninsula, Oman, "by an unknown projectile" and sustained minor structural damage; UKMTO said there were "no casualties or environmental impact" and the vessel proceeded to its nearest point of call (NPOC).
- A very large crude carrier (VLCC) was struck about 16 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan, UAE; the ship reported a hit on the port side upon exiting the Strait of Hormuz and was able to proceed to NPOC with no crew injuries reported.
- An LNG tanker reported being hit in the port-side engine room, causing a fire while travelling southbound about eight nautical miles east of Limah, Oman.
CENTCOM named the three vessels attacked as the Marshall Islands‑flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia‑flagged M/T Wedyan, and the Liberian‑flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.
Treasury revocation and the June 18 Memorandum of Understanding
The CENTCOM strikes followed an action by the U.S. Treasury Department revoking a general license that had authorized the sale of Iranian oil. Treasury published a document titled "Revocation and Wind Down of June 21, 2026 Authorization for the Production, Delivery and Sale of Crude Oil, Petrochemical Products, and Petroleum Products of Iranian Origin." The source describes that revocation as abrogating a key part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 18, which also addressed Iran's nuclear program and its enriched uranium stockpile.
Bandar Abbas imagery, social posts, and reporting on strike locations
Social-media video and still imagery collected and circulated on X showed fires and damage at sites in southern Iran. Multiple OSINT accounts posted footage appearing to show strikes on Bandar Abbas, including the Shahid Haqqani port and Bandar Abbas Airport. One post cited the airport as "a major target tonight, where a senior figure in the Islamic regime was present and from where the regime has launched missiles and drones toward neighboring countries," language attributed to the social post rather than to an official statement in the reporting. Media outlets and validated network posts indicated Bandar Abbas — a recurrent focal point in the conflict — was among the locations struck.
Flight KTA1732 missing, and the pause in peace talks during Iran's funeral week
In a separate development that the source reported alongside the strikes, FlightRadar24 and the Pakistan Airports Authority said they were searching for K2 Airways cargo flight KTA1732 (AP‑BOI), en route from Sharjah to Karachi, after it failed to land as scheduled. FlightRadar24's preliminary ADS‑B data showed the aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman when it disappeared from radar around 12:20 PM EDT; the final data point was at 16:21 UTC at 1,100 ft with a reported vertical rate of −22,400 feet per minute. The Pakistan Airports Authority reported a "navigational system issue" before contact was lost and said there were five people on board. The source noted there were "no indications that the aircraft was lost due to hostile activity," while describing the area as "extremely tense."
The strikes and maritime incidents occurred while peace talks were paused during a weeklong funeral in Iran for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom the source reported was killed on the first day of the war in an airstrike. In an interview posted on X, Iranian Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, an advisor to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, told domestic media: "Friends who oppose negotiations, be patient; the Americans themselves will derail these talks."
What this means for shippers, CENTCOM, and regional authorities
- Shippers and crews: the U.K. JMIC reiterated that the southern route around Oman "has been expanded and remains available for all traffic." Still, the source notes that the Strait's northern route is controlled by Iran and the middle section is considered too dangerous because of mines, leaving commercial operators to weigh routing and risk in a more constrained maritime corridor.
- CENTCOM and U.S. policymakers: CENTCOM framed the strikes as enforcement of the ceasefire and a deterrent to further attacks on commercial shipping; the command said its forces "remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable when the agreement is not adhered to or obeyed."
- Regional authorities: Iran's prior military warning that tankers must use its approved routes — and its threat that U.S. interference "will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction" — remains on the record as the parties absorb the immediate military and diplomatic fallout.
The sequence reported here — maritime attacks, a Treasury revocation affecting a June MoU, a rapid U.S. military response that CENTCOM said struck more than 80 targets, and the concurrent disappearance of a cargo aircraft — leaves immediate questions about navigation safety, commercial risk, and diplomatic openings unresolved. For now, the JMIC route around Oman remains open, but the events of July 7 underline how quickly a single night's violence can reshape movement through one of the world's most strategically sensitive waterways.
