US Resumes Bombing Iran Ahead Of Khamenei’s Burial After Attacks In Strait Of Hormuz

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• US bombed Iran Wednesday following recent Strait of Hormuz tanker attacks.
• Explosions struck Sirik, Bandar Abbas, reportedly injuring several civilians.
• US blamed Iran for tanker attacks amidst ongoing Khamenei funeral ceremonies.

The United States resumed bombing Iran on Wednesday after tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz this week. Multiple explosions were heard around Sirik in southern Iran, where commercial and fishing piers were hit.

Explosions were also heard in the east and west of Bandar Abbas, according to state media. 

The development comes amid a globally-watched funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in the coordinated strikes by the US and Israel on February 28 this year. The slain Iranian Supreme Leader is scheduled to be laid to rest on Thursday, July 9. 

Several people were injured in the attack from an “enemy projectile” in Sirik, according to state media. The injured were transferred to a hospital in Minab, while there was no information about any casualties.

ALSO READ | Third Tanker Hit In Strait Of Hormuz As Tensions Around Iran Escalate

Tankers Hit In Strait of Hormuz

The US Central Command said the offensives were in response to what it said were Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. “Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” it said in a social media post.

Earlier this week, three tankers were reported to be struck by unknown projectiles in and near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British navy-affiliated agency UKMTO. 

On Tuesday, a Qatari LNG tanker and a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker were damaged near the strait. 

While no one claimed responsibility for the attacks, a US official, on condition of anonymity, blamed Iran for firing on two commercial vessels. 

The Iranian government did not immediately offer any comment on the claim. 

ALSO READ | ‘We Are Going To Win One Way Or Other’: Trump Warns Iran Amid Khamenei Funeral

Khamenei’s Funeral 

The renewed escalation comes amid Tehran holding funeral ceremonies for Khamenei. Sea of mourners flooded the streets of Qom on Tuesday, and the casket of the Supreme Leader and his family were brought to the seminary city. 

Khamenei, his daughter, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law were killed on the first day of the war. 

The week-long funeral ceremonies will conclude on Thursday, when Khamenei will be buried after another ​procession, in Mashhad near the tomb of Imam Reza, a figure of great devotion in Iran.