US Strikes Iranian Weapons Sites After Attack on Commercial Ship

US Central Command said American forces struck weapons storage sites and coastal radar positions in Iran on Friday, in retaliation for an attack a day earlier on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The reported strike followed President Donald Trump’s declaration on Friday that Iran had committed “a stupid violation of the ceasefire,” in a post on his social network shortly before the Sabbath began.

According to CENTCOM, Iran attacked the M/V Ever Lovely on June 25 with a one-way attack drone. The Singapore-flagged cargo ship was sailing from the Strait of Hormuz along Oman’s coast at the time. CENTCOM said Iran’s “unjustified aggression against commercial shipping” clearly violated the ceasefire and threatened freedom of navigation, as trade increasingly moves through a vital international corridor.

The command said US forces continue to provide safe transit coordination and support for commercial vessels passing through the strait, and stressed that the US military remains “present and vigilant” to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are fully upheld.

Iran responded through Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi, who said the safety of ships in Hormuz “cannot be guaranteed under vague arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making processes that ignore Iran’s sovereignty.” Iran’s Gulf Persian Strait Authority (PGSA) also warned that any passage outside routes set by the authority would not receive safe-transit guarantees, insurance coverage, or related undertakings, and that responsibility would rest with the ship owner, operator and captain. Separately, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Saturday it had struck US military positions in the area, without specifying where, what damage was caused, or whether anyone was hurt.