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US conducts strikes on Iran after attack on cargo ship
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The US military has conducted strikes on Iranian targets after President Donald Trump accused Iran of a "foolish violation" of its truce following an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. No casualties were reported when the ship was struck by a one-way attack drone on Thursday, an incident that prompted a planned evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stuck in the region. In response, US Central Command said on Friday it had struck missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions. There has been no comment yet from Iran. Just moments before the strikes were announced, Trump said "you'll see" when asked if the US would respond to the Iranian attack. US Central Command - or Centcom - described the strikes as "a powerful response" to the drone attack."The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire," it said in a statement. "Furthermore, Iran's dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor."Centcom said the US military would "continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait".For the moment, it is unclear if the US attacks were isolated or form part of a larger, ongoing response. After US and Israeli attacks against Iran began at the end of February, Tehran effectively closed the strait - a critical waterway for oil and gas shipments - causing a spike in global oil prices and choking off shipments of other crucial commodities such as fertiliser.The US and Iran agreed on 17 June to end hostilities under a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which had also called for Iran to use its "best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days".In a post on X following the US retaliatory strikes, Vice-President JD Vance said that if Iran "has disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone". "But violence will be met with violence," he added. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday afternoon, Trump refused to be drawn into questions on how the US might respond to the drone attack, or whether he viewed the ceasefire as still intact."You'll find out," he said. "I don't like the fact that they took a shot yesterday. They shouldn't be doing that."Asked why he believed Iran would conduct such an operation, Trump said only that "they're a little bit different".In recent days, Trump and other US officials insisted negotiations with Iran were progressing well, saying Iran had given up any suggestion of tolling vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump said Iran had informed the US that there would be "no tolls, no insurance costs and no other charges of any kind being sought or received"."If this is false information, negotiations would end, immediately," he added. The US has condemned reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the strait, and many see any tolling system as going against international maritime law.On Tuesday, Iranian and Omani officials held talks in Oman's capital of Muscat to discuss "the future management of navigation", although Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi said both countries were committed to "toll-free safe passage".However, Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, told state-affiliated news outlets that "everyone should know that the administration of the Strait of Hormuz will never go back to the way it was before the war."
The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) has paused the planned evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship passing through the waterway was attacked.IMO chief Arsenio Dominguez said several boats had already been evacuated, but the agency wanted to ensure that "necessary safety guarantees" would continue to be in place.The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported on Thursday that a ship had been struck 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman's port of Dahit by "an unknown projectile". No casualties were reported.Maritime risk management firm Vanguard said the ship, Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, continued through strait despite the attack. US officials said Iran had fired on the ship, according to US media reports. The body set up by Iran to manage the strait said vessels passing outside designated routes would not be guaranteed safe passage.In a post on X, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said: "Any consequences arising from the use of unauthorised routes shall be the responsibility of the vessel's owner, operator and master".Hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors have been stranded in the Gulf since February because of the US-Israel war against Iran.The UN evacuation effort was only announced on Tuesday following the reopening of the strait, with Dominguez saying the "large-scale operation" had the cooperation of Iran, Oman, the US, other coastal states in the region and the maritime industry.Dominguez said in a statement on Thursday that the vessel that was attacked "did not transit under IMO's evacuation framework"."I have always reiterated that the safety of the seafarers remains paramount. Therefore, to ensure a coordinated approach and navigational safety, the evacuation plan will be paused until further clarity is obtained," he added.Ship-tracking website MarineTraffic, said the Ever Lovely entered the Strait using the southern route on Thursday morning and exited on the east side at around 15:30 local time (16:30 BST). Vanguard also reported no assistance was required.Last week the US and Iran agreed to end hostilities under a 14-point deal - which also called for Iran to use its "best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days".However, Tehran has repeatedly said it plans to charge what it calls maritime service fees for crossing the strait, as opposed to tolls. The plan is fiercely opposed by the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning on Tuesday that no country is allowed to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz, which he called "an international waterway".Rubio is currently in Bahrain as part of a tour of the Gulf to discuss the deal with Tehran.After US and Israeli attacks against Iran began at the end of February, Tehran effectively closed the strait - a critical waterway for oil and gas shipments - causing a spike in global oil prices and choking off shipments of other crucial commodities such as fertiliser.However the cost of crude has been moving sharply lower since the US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 17 June, which set out a 60-day period for negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme and other measures to end the war.Earlier on Thursday, the price of oil briefly fell below $72.48 (£55) a barrel, the price it was at the day before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, before edging up to $73.23.
Iran strikes cargo ship on U.N.-backed route in Strait of Hormuz The Washington Post U.N. agency pauses Strait of Hormuz evacuation effort as ship struck off Oman NBC News Iran behind attack on cargo vessel near Oman in Strait of Hormuz, U.S. official tells MS NOW CNBC Iran-U.S. Updates: Iran strikes vessel in Strait of Hormuz amid debate over "transit fees" CBS News UN agency pauses ship evacuations through strait of Hormuz after vessel struck The Guardian
NewsFeedThe UN’s maritime agency has launched an operation to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding paused the war. The waterway had been effectively closed by Iran since February, leaving vessels trapped for months.Published On 23 Jun 2026
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