US-Iran Strikes Renew as Hormuz Ceasefire Frays

Ceasefire Under Strain After New Round of Strikes

The United States and Iran have exchanged another wave of retaliatory strikes over control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by Maritime Executive, raising doubts over a ceasefire agreement that had been in place for only three weeks. gCaptain also reported on related developments concerning Iranian claims over the waterway.

The latest escalation began with Iranian attacks on GCC-linked merchant vessels. U.S. Central Command’s Joint Maritime Information Center confirmed three separate attacks on Monday and Tuesday, striking two tankers and one LNG carrier. The center warned that IRGC activity, including hailing, drone surveillance and targeted monitoring, showed a continued effort to assert presence along key transit routes.

U.S. Response and Iranian Counterstrikes

In response, the U.S. Treasury Department reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports, and President Donald Trump ordered fresh airstrikes on Iranian targets. A U.S. official told CNN the strikes were meant to deliver “punishment” rather than a proportional reply. Central Command said it hit roughly 80 targets, including air defense systems, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile batteries and about 60 IRGC attack boats near the strait.

Iran responded with strikes on 85 American military targets in the region, including the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain and Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The IRGC also claimed to have downed another MQ-9 Reaper drone.

Oil Markets React, Sanctions Wind-Down Begins

The revocation of Iran’s oil sanctions waiver took effect on July 7, with a 10-day window to settle prior transactions through a blocked U.S. account. Brent crude jumped three percent and U.S. oil futures rose six percent following news of the strikes, while major stock indices declined.

The NGO United Against Nuclear Iran said it had tracked 43 tankers carrying an estimated $4.5 billion in cargo departing Iran, with total shipments since June’s General License reaching as much as 55 million barrels. TankerTrackers.com reported Iran was loading six million barrels of crude at Kharg Island on the day of the strikes.

Iran Reasserts Authority Over the Strait

Separately, Iran sent a letter to the International Maritime Organization reasserting sovereign authority over portions of the Strait of Hormuz within its territorial seas, rejecting UNCLOS on the grounds that it is not a signatory. Iran’s newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority has also floated possible future insurance requirements and routing rules for passing vessels, despite a memorandum obligating free transit through the strait for a 60-day period.

Apeks view — For owners and operators, the operational risk here isn’t political theater—it’s the widening gap between formal transit rights and what’s actually happening on the water. Attacks on tankers and an LNG carrier, drone surveillance, and now competing claims over routing and insurance requirements mean masters need documented, timely records of hailing incidents, near-misses and vessel positions. Verbal assurances of safe passage carry little weight; contemporaneous, structured logs of each encounter are what will matter to insurers, flag states and charterers assessing risk in the strait.