NATO chief backs US strikes after alleged Iranian ceasefire violations in Hormuz.
CENTCOM targeted over 80 Iranian military sites following attacks on commercial tankers.
Islamabad MoU faces collapse as Iran and US exchange fresh military strikes.
'Absolutely Necessary': NATO Chief Defends US Strikes on Iran
European leaders aim to convince US President Donald Trump to re-commit to the military alliance at the summit after his renewed disputes with them over the Iran war and Greenland
Summary
US Central Command (CENTCOM) strikes on southern Iran on July 7, were "absolutely necessary", NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, according to Reuters.
"When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire...I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully reacts." Rutte told reporters before the NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey.
NATO leaders are gathering in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8. European leaders aim to convince US President Donald Trump to re-commit to the military alliance at the summit after his renewed disputes with them over the Iran war and Greenland.
US Retaliates in Strait
The US strikes on southern Iran were in retaliation for Iranian projectile attacks on three commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz earlier on the same day, as per reports.
The CENTCOM strikes targeted more than 80 locations, including air defence systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats.
The bombardment focused on Iran's maritime strike network, hitting targets on Qeshm Island, the mainland city of Sirik and the port city of Bandar Abbas. The US also revoked a licence that had previously allowed Iran to temporarily sell oil under a fragile ceasefire.
Ceasefire Accord Shattered
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a 14-point ceasefire agreement signed on June 17, mandating the immediate termination of military operations and guaranteeing safe, toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran allegedly breached the accord by blocking foreign vessels and launching drone and missile attacks against three commercial tankers, including a Qatari LNG vessel, transiting the strait.
Following the US airstrikes, Iran further breached the accord by targeting US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone and missile strikes on July 8.
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