The United States has carried out airstrikes on Iranian military targets after a cargo ship was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, despite a recent ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it targeted missile and drone storage facilities, as well as coastal radar positions, in response to Thursday’s drone attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely. No casualties were reported in the incident.
US President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire, calling the attack a “foolish violation.” CENTCOM described its operation as a “powerful response” and said it would continue supporting commercial vessels passing through the strategic waterway.
Iran denied wrongdoing and said the ship was using an unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) condemned the US strikes as “treaty-breaking aggression” and claimed Iranian forces had retaliated against US military positions in the region.
The attack forced the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) to suspend its evacuation plan for more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Gulf. The evacuation had begun after the strait reopened earlier this week.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s busiest energy shipping routes. It was effectively closed after fighting between the US, Israel and Iran began in February, disrupting global oil and gas supplies.
The latest exchange threatens to derail ongoing negotiations and raises fresh concerns about security in one of the world’s most critical maritime trade corridors.
