The US military on Friday carried out fresh strikes on Iran, hours after President Donald Trump accused Tehran of a ‘foolish violation’ of the ceasefire agreement following a drone attack on a commercial cargo ship transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.The latest military action came after Iran launched four one-way attack drones at commercial vessels in the strategic waterway. One of the drones struck the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely, causing damage but no casualties. The vessel was able to continue its journey along the Omani coast.Confirming the operation, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American aircraft targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities as well as coastal radar sites in response to the attack.In a statement, CENTCOM said: “US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted strikes against Iran, June 26, as a powerful response to yesterday’s attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”It added that US aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations after Iran attacked M/V Ever Lovely with a one-way attack drone while the Singapore-flagged vessel was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along Oman’s coast.CENTCOM accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by targeting commercial shipping.“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire. Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor,” the statement said.The command added that US forces would continue coordinating safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and remain deployed to ensure the ceasefire agreement is fully observed.The strikes came shortly after Trump warned Iran of consequences for violating the truce.Speaking to reporters at the White House when asked whether Iran would face retaliation, Trump said: “You will find out. I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday, actually, four. We knocked down three… A very expensive ship took a little beating. They shouldn’t be doing that.”Earlier, Trump had alleged that Iran fired four attack drones at ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, calling the incident a breach of the ceasefire.In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that one drone had hit the upper deck of a cargo ship while three others were intercepted by US forces. He described the attack as a ‘foolish violation’ of the ceasefire agreement.“The Islamic Republic of Iran shot at least four One Way Attack Drones at Ships transversing the Strait of Hormuz. One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship,” Trump said.”Damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way. We knocked down three other Drones. Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement,” he added.Also Read | ‘Foolish violation of ceasefire deal’: Trump says Iran hit cargo ship in HormuzThe latest escalation has raised fresh concerns over the stability of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors through which around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass.The attack comes despite a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed earlier this month between the United States and Iran aimed at ending hostilities. Under the agreement, Tehran had committed to using its “best efforts” to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz during a 60-day negotiation period.The MoU also established a direct communication channel between Washington and Tehran to avoid military incidents and reduce the risk of miscalculation while negotiations on a broader peace agreement continue.However, Iranian officials have recently maintained that the future management of the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Tehran’s control, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has insisted that ships passing through the waterway must follow routes approved by Iran. The latest drone attack and subsequent US strikes have cast fresh uncertainty over the fragile ceasefire and ongoing diplomatic efforts.
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