“Commercial vessel transits through the vital international maritime corridor continue. Since early May, CENTCOM forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil,” CENTCOM said.

Iran’s response

Iran’s response came soon after. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its forces launched missile and drone attacks against American military positions in Kuwait, framing the operation as a continuation of its Nasr-2 retaliatory campaign, repeatedly targeted US installations across Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan in recent weeks, reported Tasnim News Agency. Despite the US’s claims on transit in Hormuz, the IRGC maintained that they hit US military targets in Bahrain and Kuwait and stopped two “non-compliant oil tankers” attempting to transit the strait, state media reports.

The IRGC said the attack hit a long-range radar installation, a communications facility, satellite ground equipment, missile-defence radar, and a hangar used to shelter MQ-9 drones at Ali Al Salem Air Base, claiming several of the aircraft were destroyed or badly damaged.

The IRGC characterised the strikes as a direct response to what it called continued American aggression against Iranian territory, and it signaled that further retaliatory action should be expected. Washington had not confirmed the specifics of Iran’s claims regarding damage to the Kuwait facility as of the time of reporting.

The US Department of War had earlier announced the death of two active-duty soldiers who were the part of Operation Inherent Resolve.