The U.S. military launched airstrikes against Iranian targets Friday after Tehran attacked a commercial cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions just days after the two nations agreed to a ceasefire.
Iran fired at least four drones at ships transiting the strategic waterway Thursday, with one striking the upper deck of a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel. The U.S. military said it intercepted three of the drones. The attack violated a 14-point ceasefire agreement reached between Washington and Tehran earlier this month.
The U.S. Response
U.S. Central Command confirmed it conducted strikes against Iranian military installations Friday in what it described as a “powerful response” to the attack on commercial shipping. Six land-based American aircraft targeted four separate locations, including missile and drone storage facilities and radar sites along the Strait of Hormuz and on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The Ceasefire Agreement at Risk
The latest military exchange threatens the fragile ceasefire reached between the two countries. Under the memorandum of understanding, Iran agreed to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days while both sides negotiate broader agreements covering Iran’s nuclear program and regional security.
The agreement had initially boosted commercial shipping traffic through the waterway and pushed global oil prices toward pre-war levels. However, disputes over implementation have continued, with the U.S. supporting southern routing near Oman’s coast while Iran insists vessels use routes closer to Iranian shores.
Diplomatic Path Forward
Vice President JD Vance, who led the negotiations, defended the military response Friday. “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,” Vance wrote on social media.
The strikes represent the first direct U.S. military action against Iran since the ceasefire was established and negotiations toward a permanent agreement began.
