ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Friday that its forces carried out strikes against Iran in retaliation to the latter’s Thursday attack on a commercial ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, despite the ongoing ceasefire between the two countries.
“US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted strikes against Iran, June 26, as a powerful response to yesterday’s attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM reported on X, stating that the US aircraft “struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after Iran hit M/V Ever Lovely on June 25 with a one-way attack drone.”
The command identified the attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship as it was “exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast at the time of Iran’s attack,” as an “unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire.”
“Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor,” CENTCOM said.
This comes amid US President Donald Trump's post on Truth Social on Friday calling Iran’s four one-way drone attacks toward vessels in the Strait of Hormuz a “foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement.”
Later when asked at the White House if the US would retaliate against Iran, Trump told reporters, “You will find out.”
CENTCOM further added that its forces will continue to provide “safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait” stating that the US military will remain present “to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect.”
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a maritime observer, reported on Thursday that "a cargo vessel has been hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the bridge." The incident occurred 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Dahit, Oman.
Last updated 12:18 AM
