The U.S. military launched fresh strikes against Iran on Friday, hours after President Donald Trump accused Tehran of “foolishly violating” a ceasefire agreement after a drone struck a commercial cargo ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz.The latest military action comes after Iran launched four one-way attack drones at commercial ships in the strategic waterway. One of the drones hit the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely, causing damage but no casualties. The ship was able to continue sailing along the coast of Oman.U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation, saying U.S. aircraft targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites in response to the attack.“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted strikes against Iran on June 26 in response to yesterday’s attack on a commercial ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement.It added that U.S. aircraft struck Iran’s missile and drone storage sites after Iran used a unidirectional attack drone to attack the Singapore-flagged ship Forever Lovely as it left the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman.Central Command accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement by targeting commercial shipping.“The Iranian military’s unprovoked aggression against commercial shipping is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement,” the statement said. “Additionally, Iran’s dangerous behavior undermines freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly moves through critical international trade corridors.”The command added that U.S. forces will continue to coordinate the safe passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz and remain deployed to ensure that the ceasefire agreement is fully respected.The attack came shortly after Trump warned Iran of the consequences of violating the truce.Asked whether Iran would face retaliation, Trump told reporters at the White House: “You’ll know. I didn’t like that they shot yesterday, four actually. We shot down three…a very expensive ship that took a little hit. They shouldn’t have done that.”Earlier, Trump claimed that Iran launched four attack drones at ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying the incident violated the ceasefire agreement.In an article published in “Truth Social”, Trump wrote that a drone hit the upper deck of a cargo ship and three other drones were intercepted by the US military. He called the attack a “senseless violation” of the ceasefire.“The Islamic Republic of Iran launched at least four one-way attack drones at ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. One of the drones severely hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive cargo ship,” Trump said. Done, but the ship can still sail. We shot down three more drones. Clearly, this is a foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement,” he added.ALSO READ | ‘Stupid ceasefire violation’: Trump says Iran hit cargo ship in HormuzThe latest escalation has raised new concerns about stability in the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass.The attack came despite the United States and Iran signing a 14-point memorandum of understanding earlier this month aimed at ending hostilities. According to the agreement, Tehran promised to do its utmost to ensure the safe passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz during the 60-day negotiation period.The memorandum of understanding also establishes a direct channel of communication between Washington and Tehran to avoid military incidents and reduce the risk of miscalculation while negotiations on a broader peace deal continue.However, Iranian officials have recently insisted that future management of the Strait of Hormuz will remain under Tehran’s control, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) insists that ships passing through the waterway must follow Iranian-approved routes. The latest drone strikes and subsequent U.S. attacks have created new uncertainty for the fragile ceasefire and ongoing diplomatic efforts.
