The United States military has initiated new strikes against Iran, following accusations from US President Donald Trump that Iran was responsible for a drone attack on a cargo vessel on Thursday. President Trump stated that the attack also constituted a violation of the existing US-Iran agreement.
In retaliation, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had targeted US military installations, citing a Friday attack by the US. The US, however, characterized its Friday actions as a response to a drone strike on a commercial ship within the Strait of Hormuz.
According to reports from Iran’s Tasnim and IRNA news agencies, the IRGC’s naval forces struck locations where American troops are stationed in the region. These reports did not offer specific details on the exact sites or the extent of the alleged attacks. The IRGC strongly condemned the US strikes on Iranian territory, asserting that the United States had “as always, violated its commitments and launched an airstrike.” The corps further warned that “if the aggression is repeated, our response will be more extensive.”
The US confirmed that its Friday strikes were a direct consequence of a drone assault on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident it attributes to Iran. While the ship sustained damage, it was reportedly able to proceed with its journey.
Iran has maintained its right to regulate shipping traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz, citing an interim agreement designed to resolve the protracted conflict. US Vice President JD Vance addressed the situation, stating that if Iranian officials had concerns regarding the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), “they can pick up the phone.” In a post on X following the attacks, Vance reiterated that the US had “honored” the ceasefire deal, adding, “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.”
The MOU, which Vice President Vance assisted in negotiating earlier this month, included the establishment of a joint office by Iran and the US. This office was intended to prevent an escalation of attacks in the event of minor clashes. However, questions arose regarding how the US strikes on Friday aligned with the MOU’s first article, which explicitly states, “The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU, declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations” by all signatories.
Reports from The New York Times and broadcaster CNN confirmed the conclusion of the US military’s attacks on Iran on Friday. Citing an anonymous official, The New York Times detailed that six US Air Force F35 and F16 fighter jets conducted strikes on four Iranian locations over a 90-minute period, targeting sites along the Strait of Hormuz and on Qeshm Island.
Following the US strikes on Friday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that its response would be “swift and decisive,” a statement broadcast on state television, as reported by Reuters. The IRGC also claimed its forces had successfully repelled a US military attack in Sirik, a coastal area near the Strait of Hormuz. However, the semi-official FARS news agency, known for its close ties to the IRGC, later stated that the military group had not issued an official declaration concerning the US strikes. Earlier, Iranian media had indicated that a pier in Sirik, located on Iran’s southern coast, had been hit by the US.
On his Truth Social account, US President Donald Trump specifically accused Iran of employing four drones in the attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump detailed that “One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying ship,” while the other three were intercepted. He further asserted that this attack violated the ongoing ceasefire between the US and Iran, as stipulated in the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding. Subsequently, US CENTCOM confirmed new strikes on Iran, stating that “US aircraft struck Iranian missiles and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after Iran hit M/V Ever Lovely on June 25 with a one-way attack drone.” CENTCOM specified that the Singapore-flagged cargo ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast when the Iranian attack occurred.
The British maritime security agency UKMTO was the first to report the Iranian attack on the cargo vessel, noting that it resulted in no casualties or environmental damage. This incident occurred amidst efforts by the International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, to coordinate an evacuation plan for 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf, who were to pass through Hormuz. The agency has since paused this plan following the attack. Iran, for its part, has reiterated that any nation wishing to transit through Hormuz must first coordinate with Iranian authorities.
This situation unfolded as live updates on the Iran war and the wider Middle East region were provided for the weekend of June 26 to 28.
