After three tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington pulled back a waiver that had permitted Iranian oil sales and directed military strikes at Iranian positions in the waterway, according to The New York Times.
Citing Iran's role in "attacking commercial shipping," U.S. Central Command announced Tuesday evening that American forces had carried out a series of strikes in the strait, according to The Times. Among the vessels hit was a Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier called Al Rekayyat, which was in waters off the Omani coast, according to the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency. Qatar's foreign ministry blamed Iran and condemned the strike as an "unacceptable attack on the security & safety of international maritime navigation," according to The Times.
No direct claim of responsibility has come from Tehran, even as Iranian officials have maintained that they exercise exclusive authority over the strait. A U.S. official speaking without authorization called Iran's conduct in the strait "wholly unacceptable" and indicated that any gains Iran might expect from a peace deal hinged on the country changing course, according to The Times.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had described the sanctions exemption last month as "better for the world" and framed it as a conditional, performance-based arrangement. "We are offering them carrots, and then there are sticks," Bessent told The Times at the Economic Club of New York.
Scheduled to run through Aug. 21, the Treasury-issued waiver had opened the door for Iran to use American currency in oil deals and gave U.S. buyers the ability to import Iranian crude, petrochemicals, and petroleum products. As a condition of the preliminary agreement underlying the waiver, Iran had pledged unimpeded passage through the strait and entry for international nuclear inspectors, according to The Times.
Tuesday's revocation came weeks after a tanker was also struck by a projectile in the strait in late June, an incident that preceded a broader exchange of strikes between the two sides, according to Reuters. According to Reuters, Iranian state television reported that Revolutionary Guard forces had discharged what were called "warning shots" at ships trying to use unauthorized channels, a development that pushed other vessels to obtain Iranian clearance before entering the strait.
More on this story: Things are getting worse in the Strait of Hormuz — again
Update, July 8, 2026: U.S.-Iran negotiations have been paused until after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (per BBC News)