The United States carried out targeted strikes against missile and drone sites, as well as coastal radar installations in Iran, responding to a drone attack on a cargo vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz. This marks the most direct challenge to the fragile interim ceasefire agreed upon by the US and Iran just days earlier. The strike came shortly after President Donald Trump indicated a response was imminent, citing multiple drone shots fired at the ship as a violation of the ceasefire.
The drone attack occurred amid heightened regional tensions, with Iran asserting control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials dismissed the US position, describing the incident as enforcement of ceasefire terms rather than a breach, urging respect for Iran’s authority over the waterway. The British military verified that a container ship had been hit by a projectile near Oman’s coast shortly before the US retaliated, though no injuries were reported.
The US Central Command announced the operation on social media, and the strikes concluded within about an hour. A US official confirmed the action but spoke anonymously due to the ongoing nature of the military operation. President Trump acknowledged the complexity of negotiations with Iran but expressed clear disapproval of the drone attack during a White House briefing, abruptly ending the session when questioned further.
Complicating the conflict, a United Nations maritime agency had been conducting an operation to relocate stranded ships from the Strait, shifting vessels along safer routes close to Oman’s coast. However, this effort has been suspended following the attack, with the International Maritime Organization stating evacuations will not resume without assurances that remaining vessels will be safe from attack. Recently, around 115 ships managed to navigate out of the strait, leaving about 500 still awaiting transit.