US strikes Iranian radar sites as tanker attacks disrupt Hormuz shipping

The United States military launched a wave of air strikes against Iranian radar installations and military assets on Tuesday, 1 September, targeting Tehran's surveillance and anti-ship capabilities along the Strait of Hormuz. The operation, confirmed by US Central Command, focused on air-defense systems, maritime assets, and communication facilities to prevent Iranian forces from monitoring or disrupting international shipping in the strategic waterway. Strikes hit critical infrastructure and gas hubs US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday, 2 September, that the strikes destroyed an emerging "patchwork" of radar systems that Iran was attempting to rebuild. Iranian state media reported that explosions occurred across several regions, including the Jiroft airport in Kerman province and the major gas and petrochemical hub of Asaluyeh. Additional strikes were recorded on Qeshm Island and Lavan Island, the latter of which houses a critical oil export terminal. The escalation coincided with two security incidents involving commercial tankers in the last 48 hours. According to the Bahrain-based Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), the oil tanker Burgan reported a security incident while transiting the Strait. A second vessel was struck by three unknown projectiles 17 nautical miles east of Khasab, Oman. While no casualties were reported from the tanker hits, Iranian officials claimed two civilians were killed when a residential area in Bandar Kuhestak was…