The U.S. military launched airstrikes against Iranian installations Friday after Tehran fired drones at commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening a ceasefire agreement reached just days earlier.
Iran attacked at least four unmanned aircraft at vessels transiting the strategic waterway Thursday, striking the upper deck of a Singapore-flagged cargo ship. U.S. Central Command said it intercepted three of the drones before impact.
The Iranian assault violated a 14-point ceasefire memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran earlier this month. The agreement had required Iran to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days while both nations negotiated broader deals on Iran’s nuclear program and regional security matters.
The U.S. Response
U.S. Central Command confirmed it conducted strikes against four Iranian military locations Friday, describing the action as a “powerful response” to the commercial shipping attack. Six land-based American aircraft targeted missile and drone storage facilities, radar sites along the Strait of Hormuz, and positions on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said in a statement Friday.
This marked the first direct U.S. military action against Iran since the ceasefire took effect and diplomatic negotiations began.
Ceasefire at Risk
The latest military exchange threatens the fragile agreement that had initially boosted commercial shipping traffic through the waterway and pushed global oil prices toward pre-war levels. Disputes over implementation have continued, with the U.S. supporting southern routing near Oman’s coast while Iran insists vessels use routes closer to Iranian shores.
Vice President JD Vance, who led the original negotiations, defended the military response Friday. “If they have disagreements about how the memorandum of understanding is being applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence,” Vance wrote on social media.