The United States has carried out airstrikes on Iranian military targets after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the US military, the strikes were launched on Friday after President Donald Trump alleged that Iran had deployed drones against ships transiting the strategic waterway.
In a statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, along with coastal radar installations. The operation came after Iran allegedly used a one-way attack drone to strike the M/V Ever Lovely.
CENTCOM said the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel was sailing along the Omani coast while leaving the Strait of Hormuz when it was attacked. The command described the incident as a clear breach of the ceasefire agreement.
“Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor,” the statement said. It added that US forces would continue coordinating safe passage for commercial ships using the strait.
Iranian state media later reported that the American strikes hit a telecommunications mast in the Sirik area of southern Iran.
Earlier on Friday, Trump claimed Iran had launched at least four drones at ships operating in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil and gas shipping routes.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said one of the drones struck the upper deck of a large cargo vessel, causing damage but not preventing it from continuing its journey. He added that US forces intercepted and destroyed the remaining three drones.
Reacting to the strikes, Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, accused Washington of violating the ceasefire and questioned Trump’s commitment to diplomacy.
“This reckless violation of the ceasefire will, as always, lead to retreat and regret on their part,” Azizi wrote on social media.
The latest escalation comes despite a memorandum of understanding reached earlier this month, under which Washington and Tehran agreed to maintain a ceasefire and safeguard maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. However, disagreements have persisted over control of the strategic waterway.
Under the provisional agreement, the United States was expected to lift its naval blockade of Iran, while Tehran committed to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reaffirmed that it would neither acquire nor develop nuclear weapons. Both countries were given 60 days to negotiate a final agreement.
