The US military launched strikes on Iranian targets Friday after a one-way attack drone struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz the day before. No casualties were reported from the drone attack on the vessel, but the incident prompted a planned evacuation of thousands of sailors stuck in the region.
US Central Command described the operation as "a powerful response" to the attack. The strikes hit missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps blamed both the US and Israel for the strikes.
Just moments before the strikes were announced, President Donald Trump, when asked if the US would hit back at Iran, said "you'll see." The White House and military moved quickly after that.
According to BBC News, the US and Iran had agreed on June 17 to end hostilities under a 14-point memorandum of understanding. That agreement called for Iran to use its "best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days." The US Central Command said in a statement that "the unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire" and that "Iran's dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor."
Centcom said it would "continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait."
Vice President JD Vance posted on X following the strikes, saying that if Iran "has disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone." He added: "But violence will be met with violence."
The IRGC responded with its own statement, calling the US a "treaty-breaking" regime and saying the strike was launched "under various pretexts of a ship violating an unauthorised route in the Strait of Hormuz." The IRGC warned that "if the aggression is repeated our response will be more extensive than this." The IRGC also accused Israel of violating a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Iran had effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after US and Israeli attacks against Iran began at the end of February. The closure caused a spike in global oil prices and cut off shipments of oil, gas, and other goods including fertilizer. The strait is one of the world's most critical waterways for energy shipments.
It remained unclear Friday whether the US strikes were a one-time response or part of a larger ongoing military operation.
