The United States has revoked a waiver that previously allowed Iranian oil sales, taking action in response to Iran's recent attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This move occurred shortly after two US officials informed Axios that Iran's military fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels on Monday night, followed by an attack on a third ship by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday morning.
The US is also assessing retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets. The revocation of the oil sales waiver and the potential for military action come just weeks after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed, under which Iran had agreed to halt attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. A one-week agreement between the US and Iran to halt these attacks had also just expired, and indirect talks in Doha, Qatar, last week made little progress on the issue.
These incidents follow reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) regarding a tanker being struck by an unknown projectile near Oman, causing a fire. A second commercial vessel was also reportedly hit by an Iranian missile. While both vessels sustained significant damage, no casualties were reported. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway through which a substantial portion of the world's oil and gas supplies flow, making these attacks a significant threat to global energy security and regional stability.
