After over 100 days of conflict, US and Iran had agreed to a peace deal in West Asia. However, it is increasingly looking like just a temporary pause in hostilities as the two sides have again started exchanging strikes. Latest round of strikes and counter strikes started after Washington accused Tehran of attacking a cargo vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said that in response, it struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites along with coastal radar positions. It described the strikes as retaliation for unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces.
In response, Iran said it has launched strikes on Saturday, June 27, targeting US military positions in the region.
The escalation in tensions in the region has once again raised concern about the status of Strait of Hormuz. If the strikes continue, we may yet again see a closure of the critical maritime route, which had opened after over 3 months of closure. The strait is yet to be fully open and there are already such concerns whether it will close again.
Both Iran and the US are leveling allegations against each other for violating the conditions of the ceasefire.
While the peace brokered between the two sides was always considered fragile, one did not expect things to start to unravel so quickly. Now one waits to see whether cooler heads will prevail or the tensions will spiral out of control.
