The United States launched strikes against Iranian military facilities near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, responding to a drone attack on a Singapore-flagged cargo ship a day earlier. The operation targeted multiple missile and drone storage locations in Iran near the strait and on Qeshm Island, according to US Central Command (Centcom), which described it as a "powerful response" to the Iranian strike on the M/V Ever Lovely.
Limited Strikes Aim to Avoid Escalation
The US strikes appeared calibrated to retaliate without escalating the broader conflict, as the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran faces its most serious test yet. The ceasefire, which reopened the strategic waterway, has been strained by disagreements over Iran's nuclear program, tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's ballistic missile program. Centcom stated that the US military remains "present and vigilant" to ensure all aspects of the agreement are enforced.
US Vice-President JD Vance wrote on social media after the strikes: "Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence."
Trump Condemns Iranian Attack
President Donald Trump blamed Iran for violating the ceasefire with the drone attack, calling it a "foolish violation." Shortly before the US strikes on Friday, Trump told reporters: "I don't like the fact that they took a shot yesterday, actually four of them." The US president had earlier hinted at a possible response, stating "you'll find out" when asked about retaliation.
Iranian state media, citing an unnamed military source, reported that the strike hit the port of Sirik after an explosion was heard there. The source claimed several warning shots had been fired from Sirik towards vessels violating Strait of Hormuz regulations about five hours earlier, and two warning missiles were launched from the nearby Karpan area.
Revolutionary Guards Warn of Broader Response
The Revolutionary Guards responded by striking "the locations where the terrorist US military is stationed in the region," according to a statement carried on state media. The Guards warned that any further US attacks would be met with a broader response. The ceasefire agreement gave Iran control over ship traffic in the strait, the Guards said, accusing the US of violating this commitment by provoking various fronts. "If the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader than this," the statement added.
Ebrahim Azizi, a senior Iranian security official, said Iran was not seeking to escalate the conflict, describing the response as "ceasefire management" rather than a violation.
Impact on Shipping and Diplomacy
The attack prompted the UN's International Maritime Organization to pause efforts to evacuate hundreds of ships stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the conflict. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported no injuries from the attack on the Ever Lovely, which damaged the bridge of the ship. "A cargo vessel has been hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the bridge. Master has reported no casualties and no environmental impact," the authority said.
On Thursday, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned that any passage outside its designated framework would not be covered by safe passage guarantees or insurance coverage.
Progress Elsewhere: Israel-Lebanon Agreement
In a separate development, Israel and Lebanon signed an agreement to end hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. The deal calls for Hezbollah to disarm and Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon, though enforcement mechanisms remain unclear. Hezbollah said it would not cooperate.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the agreement as "the beginning of the beginning," adding: "It's the beginning of the beginning. There's a lot of work ahead." Lebanon's ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, said the accord is "a first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity." Israel's US envoy, Yechiel Leiter, stated: "Iran is out, Hezbollah is out and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in."
The agreement, released late Friday by the US State Department, declares that Israel and Lebanon "intend to conclusively end the conflict, address its underlying causes, and to therewith formally conclude any state of war between them." It also establishes a process for the Lebanese armed forces to restore sovereignty over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups, particularly Hezbollah.
