The United States has carried out military strikes against targets in Iran after a cargo vessel was attacked by a drone in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident Washington says breached a recently agreed ceasefire.
The attack occurred on Thursday when a one-way attack drone struck a commercial ship transiting the strategic waterway. Although no casualties were reported, the incident raised fresh concerns over security in one of the world’s most important shipping routes and prompted plans to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the region.
Responding to the attack, the US military announced on Friday that it had targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, as well as coastal radar installations.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) described the operation as a “powerful response” to what it called an unprovoked attack on commercial shipping.
According to CENTCOM, the drone strike violated the ceasefire and threatened freedom of navigation in a corridor that handles a significant share of global trade and energy shipments.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” the command said in a statement.
It added that Iran’s actions had undermined safe maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical gateway linking the Persian Gulf to international markets.
Moments before the military operation was confirmed, US President Donald Trump signalled that a response was imminent.
When asked by reporters whether the United States would retaliate for the attack, Trump replied: “You’ll see.”
CENTCOM said the US military would continue coordinating and supporting the safe passage of commercial vessels operating in the strait.
The latest development threatens to further strain relations between Washington and Tehran and raises concerns about renewed instability in the Gulf, a region vital to global oil and gas supplies.
Further details about the scale of the strikes and any potential casualties or damage in Iran were not immediately available.
