The U.S. military launched airstrikes Friday against Iranian targets after Tehran attacked a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first direct military action since the two nations agreed to a ceasefire earlier this month.
President Donald Trump said Iran fired at least four drones at ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, with one striking the upper deck of a large cargo vessel. When asked if Iran would face consequences, Trump responded: “You’ll find out.”
What Happened
U.S. Central Command confirmed it struck Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, radar sites, and other military targets in what it described as a “powerful response” to the attack on commercial shipping. A U.S. official told CBS News that six land-based American aircraft struck four separate targets along the Strait of Hormuz and on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
The drone strike on the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel damaged the ship’s bridge, though no injuries or environmental damage were reported, according to a U.S. official. The vessel was operating off the coast of Oman when it was struck.
The Ceasefire Agreement
The military action threatens to complicate a fragile ceasefire agreement reached between Washington and Tehran earlier this month. Under the 14-point memorandum of understanding, Iran agreed to ensure safe, toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days while both sides negotiate over Iran’s nuclear program and regional security issues.
Following the agreement, commercial shipping through the strategic waterway increased sharply and global oil prices fell toward pre-war levels. However, disputes over implementation have continued between the two nations.
Ongoing Disputes
The United States supports routing ships through the southern portion of the strait near Oman’s coastline, while Iran insists commercial vessels continue using routes closer to its own shores. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned Thursday that vessels using routes outside those designated by Iranian authorities would not receive safe-passage guarantees or insurance protections.
CENTCOM said the Iranian attack “clearly violated the ceasefire,” stating that the unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping breached the agreement. Vice President JD Vance, who has led the negotiations, defended the administration’s response in a statement to CBS News: “Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the memorandum of understanding is being applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence.”
This story has been updated. CNN’s National Security Team contributed to this report.
