Iranian authorities report strike on U.S. unmanned vessel
Iranian authorities reported a strike on a U.S. unmanned vessel that was attempting to enter the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
This incident marked another round of escalation in the conflict between the two countries. Washington has not yet confirmed the attack, but a day earlier the American military fired on three Iranian oil tankers in response to a missile strike on its ships.
Active hostilities resumed after a month of relative calm a week ago. Military operations are continuing despite the ceasefire announced in June, which collapsed due to the failure of the negotiation process. The Strait of Hormuz and adjacent Iranian population centers have come under fire again. Earlier this week, at least five people were killed as a result of American bombing in southern Iran.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is combining a tough military response in the strait with financial pressure on foreign institutions dealing with Iranian assets. Tehran's leadership, which has many years of experience circumventing sanctions, continues to supply oil to buyers through a shadow fleet, offsetting the economic blockade.
Iran's nuclear program, which became the pretext for the start of the war at the end of February, was supposed to be regulated by a memorandum signed in June, but the talks fell through. According to diplomats, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany plan to initiate the referral of the question of Tehran's failure to fulfill its nonproliferation obligations to the UN Security Council. In response, Iran is using as its main lever of pressure the Strait of Hormuz, which is critically important for global hydrocarbon supplies.
