Akshay DidwaniyaUS forces hit Iranian missile depots and radar posts near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The move came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards struck a Singapore-flagged cargo ship a move Trump branded a “foolish violation” of the fragile 60-day ceasefire deal.
US Hits Back After Iran Drones Strike Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz
The United States military launched retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The action followed Iran’s attack on a commercial vessel and came just days after both nations had signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending their war.
US Central Command confirmed that American aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage facilities as well as coastal radar sites. The command called it “a powerful response” to Iran’s “dangerous behavior.” Six land-based US aircraft carried out the strikes hitting four separate targets along the strait and on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
Trump Labels the Attack a “Foolish Violation”
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Friday morning to blast Iran over the drone attack. “The Islamic Republic of Iran shot at least four One Way Attack Drones at Ships transversing the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote. “One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship. Damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way. We knocked down three other Drones.”
Trump did not hold back calling the strike “a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement.” When reporters in the Oval Office asked if Iran would face consequences, the president cut the conversation short with just three words: “You’ll find out.”
He added “I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday actually four of them at a ship. A very expensive ship and it was fine, but it took a little beating. They shouldn’t be doing that.”
What Happened in the Strait and Why It Matters
Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck a Singapore-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The vessel, reportedly the Ever Lovely, took a hit on its starboard side damaging the bridge but managed to sail on.
The attack happened just days after Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a 60-day memorandum of understanding. That deal was meant to keep the strait open for toll-free passage a lifeline for global trade. Before the war, more than 130 vessels crossed the waterway every day. That number had already climbed back to 78 on Wednesday the highest since hostilities began but then the attack hit the brakes.
Marine data firm Windward noted on X that while the strait remained “operationally open” with 43 transits recorded after the incident, “the pace of normalization has slowed.”
Iran Fires Back Verbally and Militarily
Tehran did not stay quiet. The IRGC issued a sharp statement, saying the US “provoked various parties” and violated commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. “If the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader than this,” the IRGC warned.
Ebrahim Azizi head of Iran’s parliament national security commission went further, writing on X: “The U.S. attacked Iran in the middle of negotiations once again.” He added “The failed U.S. President has shown he has no commitment to the principles of negotiation or a ceasefire.” And then: “This reckless violation of the ceasefire will, as always, lead to retreat and regret on their part.”
Iran’s IRGC later claimed it targeted US military positions in the region in response to the American strikes though the Pentagon did not confirm those claims.
Ceasefire Still Alive, But Barely
Vice President JD Vance who led the US side of talks in Switzerland earlier this week defended Washington’s position in a post on X. “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,” he wrote. “But violence will be met with violence.”
US CENTCOM also emphasized that Friday’s strikes do not signal a return to large-scale combat operations. Forces, it said, “remain present and vigilant throughout the region.” The military also confirmed it continues to help coordinate safe passage for commercial vessels through the strait.
Shipping Traffic and UN Operations Take a Hit
The United Nations International Maritime Organization had been running an evacuation mission helping stranded ships exit the Persian Gulf through an alternative route near Oman’s coast. The operation moved about 115 vessels out of the danger zone but roughly 500 ships remain stuck.
After Thursday’s attack, the IMO immediately paused the evacuation. It said it will not resume until there are concrete guarantees that other ships will not be targeted. The ceasefire had created cautious optimism in global shipping markets but that confidence is now fraying.
Disputes Over Routes and Fees Add More Fuel
A deeper tension also runs beneath the surface. The US wants ships to use the southern route close to Oman’s coast. Iran insists vessels must seek Tehran’s permission and use a northern route closer to Iran. And while the memorandum promises toll-free passage for 60 days, Tehran has not ruled out charging fees once that period ends a position Washington and Gulf allies firmly reject.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority declared Thursday even before the drone strike: “Any passage through routes outside the framework designated by PGSA will not be covered by safe passage guarantees.”
Dubai residents got a brief scare Friday as well when a missile alert went out on mobile phones. UAE authorities quickly moved to calm nerves, saying it was a false alarm. The incident, however, underlined just how tense the region has become.
Aditya Didwaniya
Pratik Agrawal
The BRICS Times