Iran accuses US of violating peace agreement after strikes target sites around strait of Hormuz

Vessels are anchored in the strait of Hormuz. The US launched fresh strikes on Iran, throwing the months-long ceasefire agreement into doubt again. Photograph: Reuters View image in fullscreen Vessels are anchored in the strait of Hormuz. The US launched fresh strikes on Iran, throwing the months-long ceasefire agreement into doubt again. Photograph: Reuters Iran accuses US of violating peace agreement after strikes target sites around strait of Hormuz The US military said the strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels on Tuesday that violated the ceasefire Middle East crisis live: follow latest updates Iran has accused the US of violating the agreement aimed at ending the war between the two sides, after the US military launched strikes around the strait of Hormuz and revoked a temporary sanctions waiver for Tehran to export oil. The US military said the attacks launched in the early hours of Wednesday were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were ⁠transiting through the strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. “Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of ‌the ceasefire,” US central command said, referring to the three tankers, including a Qatari LNG vessel, that were struck within hours in the strait. ‘We are Iran’s true missiles’: millions gather in Tehran for day four of Ali Khamenei’s funeral Read more Wednesday’s attacks were the latest in a string of ceasefire violations between the two sides, despite a truce that came into effect in April, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last month that began 60 days of negotiations to resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program and bring a permanent end to hostilities. US officials speaking to multiple media outlets said Wednesday’s attacks targeted Iranian weapon launch sites, air defences and coastal surveillance system, and the operation was expected to “last for hours”. Iranian state media reported a series of explosions on the Iranian island of Qeshm in the strait of Hormuz, and in the city’s of Sirik and Bandar Abbas. Iran’s foreign ministry accused the US of repeated violations of the MOU and warned that it would take “decisive measures” in response. Among the breaches of the agreement the ministry cited, was the US treasury decision on Tuesday to ⁠revoke the ⁠temporary ​suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil ⁠sales. The US lifted sanctions on Iranian oil exports last month after signing the MOU, but re-imposed them on Tuesday after the attack on ​vessels in the strait ​of ‌Hormuz. The waiver on Iranian oil exports proved to be controversial among critics of the Trump administration’s Iran agreement, who said it amounted to the surrender of a key tool of economic leverage, before negotiations over the nuclear program had even begun. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) said a Qatari tanker, Al Rekayyat, was among the vessels hit on Tuesday as it tried to travel south o