US strikes Iranian targets after cargo ship attack in Strait of Hormuz

The United States has launched military strikes against Iranian targets after a drone attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz triggered fresh tensions between Washington and Tehran, raising fears over the future of a recently agreed ceasefire.

The strikes were carried out after President Donald Trump accused Iran of committing a "foolish violation" of the truce following Thursday's attack on the vessel, an incident that disrupted plans to evacuate sailors stranded in the region.

US Central Command (Centcom) said its forces targeted missile and drone storage facilities as well as coastal radar positions on Friday, describing the operation as a direct response to the cargo ship attack.

According to Centcom, the action was intended to address what it called Iran's breach of the ceasefire and threats to commercial shipping in one of the world's busiest trade routes.

"The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire," it said in a statement.

"Furthermore, Iran's dangerous behaviour undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor."

Centcom added that the US military would "continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait".

Iran, however, rejected the US position and defended the attack on the cargo ship, saying the vessel had been using an unauthorised route through the Gulf waterway.

Following the American strikes, Tehran accused Washington of violating the interim agreement between the two countries and announced retaliatory action against targets linked to US forces.

In a statement released on Saturday, Iran's foreign ministry blamed the "treaty-breaking US regime" for the escalation and said Iranian forces had responded with strikes of their own.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also said its navy had targeted US military positions in the region, although it did not provide further details.

The latest exchange of accusations and military action has added to growing instability in the Gulf, with neighbouring Bahrain reporting that it had come under attack from several Iranian drones early Saturday.

Bahrain's foreign ministry condemned the incident as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty and accused Tehran of undermining efforts aimed at preserving peace.

The security situation in the Strait of Hormuz appeared to deteriorate further after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile.

According to UKMTO, the vessel suffered damage to its bridge, though all crew members were safe and no environmental damage was recorded.

The Strait of Hormuz has remained at the centre of tensions since Tehran effectively shut the waterway after US and Israeli attacks against Iran began at the end of February.

The closure disrupted the movement of oil and gas shipments, pushed up global oil prices and affected the transport of other key commodities, including fertiliser.

The current dispute comes despite a 14-point memorandum of understanding agreed on 17 June, under which the US and Iran committed to ending hostilities.

Part of the agreement required Iran to use its "best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days".

Reacting to the latest developments, US Vice-President JD Vance said Iran had other options if it had concerns about how the agreement was being implemented.

In a post on X following the US strikes, Vance said that if Iran "has disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone".

"But violence will be met with violence," he added.

Iranian leaders, however, argued that Washington had again undermined diplomatic efforts.

Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament's national security commission, said on social media that the US had "attacked Iran in the middle of negotiations once again".

He continued in his social media post: "This reckless violation of the ceasefire will, as always, lead to retreat and regret on their part. The blame game does not work anymore."

Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump declined to outline how Washington would respond to the cargo ship attack or whether he still considered the ceasefire to be in force.

"You'll find out," he said. "I don't like the fact that they took a shot yesterday. They shouldn't be doing that."

Asked why he believed Iran would carry out such an operation, Trump replied: "they're a little bit different".