The U.S. military carried out airstrikes against Iranian targets Friday after Tehran launched drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions just days after a ceasefire agreement between the two nations.
President Donald Trump said Iran fired at least four drones at vessels transiting the strategic waterway, with one striking a Singapore-flagged cargo ship’s upper deck. Trump posted on Truth Social that the attack violated a ceasefire agreement reached between Washington and Tehran earlier this month.
When asked if Iran would face consequences, Trump responded: “You’ll find out.” That answer came hours later as U.S. Central Command confirmed it had launched strikes on Iranian military targets.
What the U.S. Struck
Six land-based American aircraft targeted four separate locations along the Strait of Hormuz and on Iran’s Qeshm Island, according to a U.S. official who spoke to CBS News. CENTCOM said the strikes hit Iranian missile and drone storage facilities as well as radar sites in what it called a “powerful response” to the attack on commercial shipping.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The Incident That Triggered the Response
Iran’s drone attack on Thursday damaged the cargo vessel’s bridge, though no injuries or environmental damage occurred, U.S. officials confirmed. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the ship was struck while operating off Oman’s coast in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
The attack followed a 14-point memorandum of understanding signed by both countries that required Iran to use its “best efforts” to ensure safe passage through the strait for 60 days while negotiations continued on Iran’s nuclear program and regional security issues.
Tensions Over the Ceasefire
Disputes over how the agreement should be implemented have persisted despite the initial accord. The U.S. supports routing ships through the southern portion of the strait near Oman’s coastline, while Iran insists vessels use routes closer to its own shores.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned Thursday that ships using routes outside those designated by Iranian authorities would not receive safe-passage guarantees or insurance protections. The warning suggested Tehran may eventually impose commercial tolls on vessels after the temporary agreement expires.
Diplomatic Fallout
Vice President JD Vance, who has led diplomatic talks with Tehran, defended the administration’s response. “Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it,” Vance wrote on social media. “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,” according to CBS News.
The strikes represent the first direct U.S. military action against Iran since the ceasefire began and complicate efforts to reach a permanent agreement over the next 60 days.