US strikes Iranian targets after attack on cargo ship

The US military carried out strikes on Iranian targets on Friday in response to a one-way attack drone that struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump called Iran's action a "foolish violation" of the truce. No casualties were reported in Thursday's attack, but it prompted a planned evacuation of over 11,000 sailors in the region.

US Central Command (Centcom) said it had struck missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions. "The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire," Centcom stated. "Furthermore, Iran's dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation."

Trump, when asked about the US response, said "you'll see" and added: "I don't like the fact that they took a shot yesterday. They shouldn't be doing that." Asked why Iran would conduct such an operation, Trump replied: "They're a little bit different."

After US and Israeli strikes against Iran began at the end of February, Tehran effectively closed the strait, causing a spike in global oil prices and choking off shipments of other commodities like fertilizer. The US and Iran agreed on 17 June to end hostilities under a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which called for Iran to use its "best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days."

On Tuesday, Iranian and Omani officials met in Muscat to discuss "the future management of navigation." Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi said both countries were committed to "toll-free safe passage." However, Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, told state-affiliated media that "the administration of the Strait of Hormuz will never go back to the way it was before the war."