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President Donald Trump authorized military strikes on Iranian missile and drone infrastructure Friday night after what U.S. officials described as a new Iranian attack on a commercial cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz that violated the ceasefire, according to U.S. officials and reports from The New York Times.
The retaliatory operation involved American fighter jets striking Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, coastal radar installations, and positions along the Strait of Hormuz and on Qeshm Island, according to U.S. Central Command.
“U.S. aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after Iran hit M/V Ever Lovely on June 25 with a one-way attack drone. The Singapore-flagged cargo ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast at the time of Iran’s attack,” U.S. Central Command posted alongside a video on X.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire. Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor,” the statement added.
The operation lasted about 90 minutes and included six U.S. Air Force aircraft, including F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, according to a U.S. official cited in the report. Officials said four Iranian sites were struck, though the full extent of the damage has not been disclosed.
Following the strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted U.S. military positions in the region, according to Reuters.
The Guards did not specify which U.S. installations were targeted, if any, or provide additional details about the alleged response.
The military escalation raised new questions about the stability of the 11-day-old ceasefire agreement. According to the Times, the confrontation followed an Iranian drone attack Thursday on the commercial cargo ship Ever Lovely as it operated near the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump condemned the attack in a social media post, calling it a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement. He said U.S. forces shot down three additional drones while one struck the vessel, causing damage but allowing it to continue operating.
The ceasefire agreement was signed 11 days earlier to reduce tensions after weeks of regional conflict that disrupted global shipping and heightened security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz.