US launches new strikes against Iranian targets

WASHINGTON/ANKARA:

The US military launched a series of strikes against Iranian targets early on Wednesday hours after revoking a temporary sanctions waiver for oil export, following three tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Central Command (Centcom) said.

In a statement posted to social media, Centcom said American forces launched the strikes "to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway … in unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire".

Earlier on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department canceled a license announced in June that had allowed Iran to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through August 21. "Iran's actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and will be met with consequences," a US official said.

The official told AFP that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding was "entirely performance-based," warning that Tehran would see benefits only if it showed "good behavior." But US negotiators were continuing to work "in good faith towards a final deal," the official said.

British maritime security agency UKMTO said an "unknown projectile" hit a tanker overnight, causing a fire, before two more vessels were struck, at least one by a drone. All three vessels were struck close to Oman. Qatar said one of the vessels was its LNG tanker and blamed Iran for "unacceptable" attack.

The announcement came as President Donald Trump landed in the Turkiye capital Ankara for a two-day meeting of the heads of state and government of the member states of NATO, the first gathering of the Alliance members since the Iran war.

In Ankara, Trump overshadowed the summit with fresh criticism of alliance members, a renewed demand for US control of Greenland, a pledge to lift sanctions on Turkiye and signals that Washington could allow Ankara back into the F-35 fighter jet programme.

Against a backdrop of lingering tensions within the alliance following the US strikes on Iran, NATO leaders unveiled defence deals worth tens of billions of dollars, seeking to demonstrate they were responding to American demands for greater military spending.

Meeting host President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential complex in Ankara, Trump announced that the United States would remove sanctions imposed on Turkiye under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) after Ankara purchased Russian S-400 air defence systems in 2020.

He also indicated that his administration would decide on a potential sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkiye, a move that would reverse one of the most contentious disputes between the two NATO allies, although legal and congressional hurdles remain.

Repeating his long-standing complaints that European allies had failed to shoulder a fair share of collective defence responsibilities, he said he remained disappointed with NATO, singling out Britain, France, Germany and Italy for "inadequate support" during the US military campaign against Iran.

Despite his criticism of European allies, Trump expressed optimism about efforts to end the war in Ukraine, saying he had spoken separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy before the summit.

Speaking alongside Erdogan, Trump also reignited controversy by renewing his insistence that Greenland should come under US control. He argued that the strategically located Arctic island should be controlled by the United States rather than Denmark, saying Copenhagen had failed to adequately support Greenland.

The remarks drew an immediate response from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said allies should respect the sovereignty of the Danish kingdom and reiterated that Greenland was not for sale. Greenland's Foreign Minister Mute Egede also rejected Trump's comments, saying the island's future would be decided solely by its own people while continuing close cooperation with allies.

Ahead of Trump's arrival, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, addressing a defence industry forum on the sidelines of the summit, sought to reassure Washington that European allies were significantly increasing defence investment.

He called for a "revolution" in the alliance's defence industrial base, warning that the security environment required a rapid expansion of military production to counter threats from Russia as well as challenges posed by China, North Korea and Iran.

NATO announced defence initiatives and procurement agreements estimated to be worth at least $50 billion. The deals included European countries purchasing surveillance drones from US defence company Northrop Grumman and NATO acquiring aircraft from Sweden's Saab.

A draft agreement was also signed between Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall to jointly produce ATACMS missiles in Germany, marking the first planned production of the missile system outside the United States. Rutte said NATO allies would invest more than $40 billion over the next five years in anti-drone capabilities.

The summit also highlighted continuing anxiety over Ukraine. NATO members are expected to reaffirm their support for Kyiv and pledge €70 billion in assistance for 2026, while Zelenskiy has appealed for additional air defence systems amid intensified Russian attacks.

Trump's visit to Ankara was accompanied by an elaborate state welcome organised by Erdogan, featuring mounted guards, military honours and fighter jet flypasts at the sprawling presidential complex. The display reflected the close personal rapport between the two leaders.

Although NATO leaders sought to present a united front in Ankara, the summit again exposed the difficult balance between accommodating Trump's demands for greater European military contributions and preserving alliance cohesion at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty.

While major defence spending commitments and new arms deals demonstrated movement towards Washington's objectives, disagreements over Greenland, the aftermath of the Iran conflict and the future of US engagement in Europe ensured that familiar tensions continued to shape the alliance's agenda.