The United States and Iran exchanged military strikes after Washington accused Tehran of attacking a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The incident placed fresh pressure on a fragile ceasefire as diplomats continued efforts to contain the wider Middle East conflict.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces struck Iranian missile and drone storage facilities. They also targeted coastal radar positions. CENTCOM said the operation responded to “unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces” that “clearly violated the ceasefire.”
The US military described the strikes as “a powerful response to yesterday’s attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
US President Donald Trump also accused Iran of carrying out a drone strike on the vessel. “Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance warned Tehran against further attacks. He wrote on X that “violence will be met with violence” if Iran launched additional strikes.
Iran Reports Retaliation
Iranian state television reported an explosion at Taherouyeh pier in the southern city of Sirik. It cited a local reporter and an informed military source, who said a projectile caused the blast.
Hours later, Iranian state television reported retaliatory strikes. It said the Revolutionary Guards targeted US sites in the Gulf region.
“If the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader than this,” the Guards said in a statement published on Telegram.
Neither Washington nor Tehran’s battlefield claims could be independently verified.
The exchanges renewed concerns about security in the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway remains central to negotiations between Washington and Tehran over a broader settlement.
Iran has warned vessels not to enter or leave the Gulf through the strait without permission. Despite that warning, commercial traffic has continued.
Shipping platform Kpler said 42 vessels passed through the strait on Thursday. Around half used a southern route along Oman’s coast instead of Iran’s preferred route.
The UN maritime agency said it evacuated 115 vessels and about 2,500 seafarers before suspending the operation following the reported attack.
Oil prices still fell. Markets appeared to expect that shipping through the strategic waterway would continue. The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about one fifth of global oil and gas exports.
Lebanon Agreement and Nuclear Talks
Israel and Lebanon welcomed a US backed framework aimed at reducing tensions along their border. Hezbollah, however, opposed the agreement.
At a signing ceremony in Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the accord “begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security.”
“It’s the beginning of the beginning. There’s a lot of work ahead,” Rubio added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the framework. He said, “Iran has been trying to force us to withdraw from southern Lebanon through pressure but, in effect, Israel, Lebanon, and the United States are telling them: this is none of your business.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the agreement a “first step” toward helping civilians return home under state authority.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah rejected the framework. He warned authorities could not implement it “unless they go, with American support, to civil war”.
Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi called for strict monitoring of Iran’s nuclear programme.
“The government of Iran has declared quite clearly that this is not their intention,” Grossi said. “But of course, intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place… as soon as is practicable.”
The interim agreement says Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent should be downblended as part of any final settlement.
