Summary

  • The US says it has launched "powerful" strikes on Iran in response to attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz

  • US Central Command (Centcom) said late on Tuesday that it had hit more than 80 targets, including over 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats

  • Iranian state media said the strikes hit Qeshm island, Bandar Abbas and Sirik, leaving some people injured by shrapnel

  • In the early hours of Wednesday, the IRGC said it had responded with retaliatory attacks on US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait

  • Last month, Tehran and Washington signed a so-called memorandum of understanding, which aimed to extend the ceasefire and end the conflict "on all fronts" - what's in it?

  • Meanwhile, at a summit in Turkey, Nato chief Mark Rutte says the US strikes were "absolutely necessary" and accuses Iran of violating the agreement with the US

Live Reporting

Edited by Caitlin Doherty and Sam Hancock

  1. US says strikes are response to attacks on vessels in Strait of Hormuz

    Smoke rises at an unknown location following what US Central Command says is a new wave of strikes against IranReuters

    Smoke rises at an unknown location following what U.S. Central Command says is a new wave of strikes against Iran

    Last night, the US launched strikes on Iran in response to attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

    Iranian state media says US strikes hit Qeshm island, Bandar Abbas and Sirik, while the IRGC says it responded with attacks on "85 key US military facilities" in Bahrain and Kuwait - two allies of the US - in the early hours of this morning.

    The US says its strikes were in response to attacks by Iran on commercial vessels moving through the strait in recent days. Tehran has not directly claimed responsibility for those attacks.

    UK Marine Trade Operations had said a tanker travelling through the strait had reported a fire after an unknown projectile hit an engine room on Monday.

    In two separate incidents on Tuesday, a tanker reported being hit as it exited the strait but was able to proceed to its next port of call, while another tanker reported sustaining minor structural damage after being struck, the organisation said.

  2. The Strait of Hormuz - why is it significant?

    Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, OmanReuters

    The waterway has been a key focus in the conflict.

    Bounded to the north by Iran and to the south by Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the strait - only about 50km (31 miles) wide at its entrance and exit, and about 33km wide at its narrowest point - connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea.

    About 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) usually passes through the strait, with oil coming not only from Iran but also from other Gulf states such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

    Before the war, about 3,000 ships usually sailed through the strait each month, but this dramatically decreased after Iran threatened to attack tankers and other ships.

    Since the memorandum of understanding was signed on 17 June, shipping traffic has begun to recover but still remains below the pre-war peak.

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  3. Foreign secretary: UK recognises US concerns over Iran hijacking Strait of Hormuz

    Yvette Cooper in a blue jacket in front of UK and Nato flags

    UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has accused Iran of trying to "hijack the global economy" following attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.

    Speaking to BBC Breakfast from the Nato summit in Turkey, Cooper calls on Iran to "respect the terms of the memorandum that they committed to".

    As a reminder, the US and Iran signed an initial peace deal - known as a memorandum of understanding - on 17 June. Among its terms was a pledge to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in return for the US lifting sanctions on Iran.

    She stresses the UK wasn't involved in the US strikes overnight but says "I do recognise their concerns about Iran trying to continue to hijack the strait and violating the terms of the ceasefire".

  4. What is the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran?

    On June 17, the presidents of the US and Iran signed an initial deal - known as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) - extending the ceasefire between the two nations.

    The agreement includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a $300bn (£224bn) plan for Iran's "reconstruction", and the US terminating "all types of sanctions" on Iran.

    But it does not deal with the thorny issue of Iran's nuclear programme - one of the reasons stated by the US for launching the war.

    As a result, further negotiations have been taking place the two sides in recent weeks.

    Earlier this morning, Iran's parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf accused the US of breaking the MoU by "violating Iranian adjustements in the strait".

    During the conflict Iran sought to assert its sovereignty over the strait, including by establishing the "Persian Gulf Strait Authority" which it said would manage "safe passage permits".

    But the agreement notes that Iran will "make arrangements using its best efforts" to allow safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait - with no charge - for at least 60 days.

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signs the document of memorandum of understanding in TehranReuters

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signing the memorandum of understanding

  5. Nato chief says US strikes were 'absolutely necessary'

    NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's hands are stretched out wide as he speaks to the media at the summit in Ankara, TurkeyReuters

    The Nato summit in Ankara got under way yesterday

    The latest round of US strikes against Iran have taken place against the backdrop of the Nato summit, which began in the Turkish capital Ankara yesterday.

    This morning, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte was asked about the overnight strikes.

    He says they were "absolutely necessary" as he accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement. "I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully reacts," he adds.

  6. Tensions ramp up in Middle East as Trump meets allies at Nato summit

    Donald TrumpEPA/Shutterstock

    Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for the Nato summit

    The US and Iran have traded strikes overnight after tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz, as Donald Trump is in Turkey for the Nato summit.

    US Central Command (Centcom) said on Tuesday it had hit over 80 targets, including more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats in the strait.

    The IRGC said it had responded with retaliatory attacks on US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

    Centcom says the US strikes are in response to Iran “targeting and attacking commercial shipping” in the strait, after several reports of tankers being targeted on Tuesday.

    Iran, on the other hand, has accused the US of breaching a memorandum of understanding signed between the countries last month.

    It comes as the US president will meet with allies at Nato’s Ankara summit - we’ll bring you up to speed with the situation in the Middle East and keep across what is happening in Turkey.