THE UNITED STATES has launched fresh strikes on Iran after accusing Tehran of violating the ceasefire by attacking a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran to retaliate against US military sites in the Gulf.
The exchange has raised fresh questions about the fragile truce agreed earlier this month, even as both sides continue negotiations towards a permanent settlement of the war that began in late February.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites after Iran allegedly hit the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely with a one-way attack drone while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said, adding that US forces would continue supporting commercial vessels using the vital shipping route.
https://t.co/CckXLJSpah pic.twitter.com/NoMQ7cNtN5
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 27, 2026
US president Donald Trump earlier described the alleged drone attack as a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement.
“Damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We knocked down three other Drones. Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement.”
Vice president JD Vance warned that “violence will be met with violence” if Iran carried out further attacks.
Iran rejected the US account, accusing Washington of breaking the ceasefire by launching strikes on its territory.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the US had attacked Iran’s coast “under various pretexts” related to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and said it had responded by targeting US military positions in the region.
“In the event of a repeat of the aggression, our response will be more extensive,” the IRGC said.
The latest confrontation centres on the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports normally pass.
Iran has warned vessels not to use routes through the waterway without its permission, although international shipping has continued using internationally recognised navigation routes.
The owner of the Ever Lovely said the vessel had been following guidance issued by British maritime authorities when it was struck.
Despite the renewed tensions, oil prices have continued to fall amid hopes commercial traffic through the strategic waterway will remain open.
The latest violence comes just over a week after the United States and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a 14-point framework designed to end hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and begin negotiations on a permanent peace agreement.
Separately, Israel, Lebanon and the United States signed a framework agreement in Washington on Friday aimed at easing tensions on Lebanon’s southern border.
The deal would see Lebanese troops gradually take control of two areas of the country currently occupied by Israel while beginning a process intended to disarm Hezbollah.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the agreement as “the beginning of the beginning” of a lasting peace, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it demonstrated that Iran had “no business” dictating events in Lebanon.
However, Hezbollah rejected the agreement, arguing it undermined the wider US-Iran peace process, and supporters staged protests in Beirut following its signing.
Additional reporting from AFP