The United States has launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian military targets after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship was hit by a drone near the Strait of Hormuz, pushing the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran into fresh uncertainty.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage facilities as well as coastal radar sites after Iran allegedly targeted the M/V Ever Lovely with a one-way attack drone on June 25 while the vessel was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast.
CENTCOM says cargo ship attack violated ceasefire
Announcing the operation, CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out on June 26 as a “powerful response” to the attack on the commercial vessel.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said.
It added that Iran’s actions had undermined freedom of navigation through one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
“CENTCOM forces continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait. The U.S. military remains present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect,” the command said.
Trump warns Iran after drone attack
Hours before the strikes were announced, US President Donald Trump criticised the attack while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office.
“I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday,” Trump said.
“They shouldn’t be doing that. You’ll find out.”
In a Truth Social post earlier, Trump claimed Iran had launched four one-way attack drones at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“One of the drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive cargo-carrying ship,” he wrote.
“We knocked down three other drones.”
Calling the attack “a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement”, Trump said the incident breached the understanding reached between Washington and Tehran.
Trump claims Iran’s military has been severely weakened
Later, while addressing the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority conference, Trump defended the recent military action against Iran and claimed Tehran’s military capability had been significantly degraded.
“Last week, we signed a historic agreement to accomplish what no president has ever been able to accomplish before — that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
“Iran today has no Navy, no Air Force, no anti-aircraft capability, no radar, virtually no manufacturing.”
Trump also claimed Iran’s drone capacity had been reduced by 82 per cent, its missile capability by 80 per cent and its rocket launchers by 90 per cent.
“They’re dying to make a deal. They’re giving us a lot,” he said.
“We’ve got to stop them from having a nuclear weapon.”
Referring again to the Strait of Hormuz incident, Trump said, “They can still shoot. They shot four of them, we knocked down three of them.”
White House says ceasefire must be honoured
US Vice President JD Vance said Washington had honoured the ceasefire agreement and urged Tehran to resolve disputes through dialogue rather than military action.
“Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence,” Vance said in a post on X.
Iran signals retaliation
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced that it had targeted US military positions in the region in retaliation for the American strikes, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.
ANI also reported that Ebrahim Azizi, a member of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, accused Washington of violating the ceasefire.
“The U.S. attacked Iran in the middle of negotiations once again. The failed U.S. President has shown he has no commitment to the principles of negotiation or a ceasefire,” he said, adding that “the blame game does not work anymore.”
In another post, Azizi warned Gulf Cooperation Council leaders against relying on US military protection, saying Iran’s missile and drone capability and its control over the Strait of Hormuz were “serious red lines.”
Iranian military spokesperson warns of ‘unprecedented’ response
According to ANI, Ibrahim al-Fiqar, identified as the official military spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned that Tehran’s response would be swift.
“We affirm that this aggression will not go unanswered, and we will choose the appropriate time and place,” he said.
He further warned that “our response this time will be unprecedented” and said any further action would invite “a harsh response that will shatter the illusions of the aggressors.”
Ceasefire faces fresh uncertainty
The latest exchange comes only days after Washington and Tehran agreed to halt hostilities following weeks of military confrontation.
The ceasefire framework called for an end to military operations, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and other unresolved issues.
The attack on the M/V Ever Lovely, the subsequent US strikes and the fresh exchange of threats have now cast doubt over the durability of that agreement.