It followed a hit on a container ship traversing the Strait of Hormuz outside of the route approved by Tehran
The US and Iran have exchanged strikes for the first time since agreeing an interim peace deal on June 17, with both sides accusing each other of violating its terms.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on June 17 paved the way for the gradual resumption of commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after months of disruption following the US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February.
The new escalation between Washington and Tehran followed a strike on Thursday against a Singapore-flagged container ship, Ever Lovely, which was traversing the key waterway outside of the route approved by Iran.
US President Donald Trump blamed the attack on Iran, saying on Friday that it fired four drones at the vessel, and that three were intercepted by American forces.
Tehran did not comment, but several hours before it happened, Iran’s newly-formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned that it could not guarantee the safety of ships that departed from a specified course close to the Iranian coastline.
What targets did Washington and Tehran strike?
On Friday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American warplanes struck missile sites, drone storage facilities, and radar installations in Iran in response to the attack on the Singaporean-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz on the previous day.
Iranian media reported that explosions were heard on Sirik Island, in the southern province of Hormozgan.
Several hours later, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it hit “deployment sites of the US terrorist military in the region” in retaliation for strikes on the country’s coastal areas.
What does the US say?
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called the attack on the Singaporean-flagged ship a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire by Tehran, but did not say if it would in any way affect further talks between the US and Iran. Under the MOU, the two sides have 60 days to reach a final settlement on their remaining disputes, including Iran’s nuclear program, relief from US sanctions, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
After the retaliatory strikes by Tehran, US Vice President J.D. Vance warned the Iranians that “violence will be met with violence.” Vance claimed in a post on X that “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.”
What does Iran say?
The IRGC said in a statement on Friday that the US follows a “pattern of breaching its commitments” and used “various pretexts, including the passage of a non-compliant vessel through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz” to launch its latest attack against Iran.
The Americans have “received the necessary response,” the statement read. The IRGC also stressed that “should this aggression be repeated, our response will be broader than this.”
Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader and a former IRGC commander, told NewsNation on Friday that “the Strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with the US” and should be managed by Iran and Oman, which are located on the opposite shores of the waterway.
“If the US makes even the slightest threat against Iran, the next war will not resemble the previous one… Trump should know that this time they would suffer extensive human losses,” he warned.
How has shipping in the Strait of Hormuz been affected?
During the conflict, Tehran barred vessels linked to the United States and its allies from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian shipping.
After the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed and the restrictions were lifted, tanker traffic through the waterway resumed. A total of 125 ships transited the strait over the following week, according to maritime tracking data.
On Wednesday, 62 commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz, the highest daily total since the conflict began, though still 53% below the level recorded on the same day in 2025, according to AXSMarine data.
The attack on the Ever Lovely did not halt traffic through the strait, with several dozen vessels transiting the waterway afterward.
Dispute over the waterway
Iran insists that all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz must get its permission and only use a designated route closer to its coast, while the US is promoting another passage close to Oman’s shores.
Tehran also said that it is considering introducing tolls for ships traversing the waterway after the MOU’s 60-day deadline ends. The US and the Gulf states vigorously oppose the idea, calling it unacceptable and a breach of international law.
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