The US military has launched strikes on Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after President Donald Trump accused Tehran of a “foolish violation” of its ceasefire. The attacks came in response to an Iranian drone strike on a cargo ship on Thursday that halted a planned evacuation of stranded sailors in the waterway.
US Central Command described the overnight strikes as “a powerful response” to what it called “unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces” that “clearly violated the ceasefire”. Within hours, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its navy had struck US military positions in the region, though it gave no further details. Then, early on Saturday, Bahrain’s foreign ministry said the country had been hit by “several Iranian drones”, condemning the action as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.
“US strikes Iranian targets after cargo ship attack, prompting Iran to launch drones at Bahrain and a tanker in escalating tit-for-tat violence.”
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” Centcom said in a statement, adding that Iran’s “dangerous behaviour undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor.” Tehran, however, said the cargo ship was attacked because it was using an unauthorised route to transit the Gulf waterway.
Also on Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, damaging its bridge. All crew were safe and no environmental damage was reported. No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion fell on Iran.
The tit-for-tat strikes mark the first outbreak of violence since the US and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on 17 June to end hostilities. That deal called for Iran to use its “best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days”. The fragile ceasefire was already under strain after Tehran effectively closed the strait following US and Israeli attacks against Iran at the end of February, causing a spike in global oil prices.
With US midterm elections looming and energy prices high, President Trump is keen to make the waterway operational again. A multinational maritime body said on Saturday it would expand a route near Oman to increase traffic, threatening a key source of leverage for Tehran, which has used control over the strait as a bargaining chip. The International Maritime Organisation, which had been evacuating stranded ships, stopped on Friday and said it would not resume until guarantees of safety were provided.
Bahrain, home to the US navy’s Fifth Fleet, reported no casualties or damage from the drone attack. But the foreign ministry called it a “flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents”. As the cycle of retaliation continues, the fragile truce that ended a months-long conflict appears dangerously close to collapse.