U.S. says 'took out' Iran base threatening blocked Strait of Hormuz oil route
The Hindu
The U.S. military strikes an Iranian base threatening the Strait of Hormuz, prompting international condemnation and escalating tensions.
The U.S. military declared on Saturday (March 21, 2026) it had taken out an Iranian bunker housing weapons threatening oil and gas shipments in the Strait of Hormuz, as thousands of Iranians marked Id al-Fitr with prayer.
The U.S. statement appeared designed to calm the concerns of energy markets and of Washington's sceptical international allies, more than 20 of whom issued a statement vowing to back efforts to re-open the key sea lane.
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Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, said U.S. war planes had dropped 5,000-pound bombs on an underground facility on Iran's coast that was storing anti-ship cruise missiles, mobile launchers and other equipment.
"We not only took out the facility, but also destroyed intelligence support sites and missile radar relays that were used to monitor ship movements," Admiral Cooper said in a video statement, revealing details of a strike first announced on Tuesday (March 17, 2026).
A statement from the leaders of mainly European countries, including the U.K., France, Italy and Germany, but also South Korea, Australia, the UAE and Bahrain, condemned the "de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces".
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