On Friday, the U.S. military launched strategic attacks targeting sites storing Iranian missiles and drones, as well as coastal radar facilities. This action followed an incident where Tehran struck a cargo vessel navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
These military actions by U.S. Central Command, known as Centcom, were a response to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ attack on the Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely, positioned near Oman’s shoreline on Thursday.
Reports revealed that Iran deployed a one-way attack drone to strike the ship as it was departing the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz. According to Centcom, the vessel suffered damage to its starboard side and bridge; however, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center linked to the British Royal Navy confirmed that no injuries occurred among the crew.
Centcom has accused Iran of breaching the fragile ceasefire with this attack on the ship.
In a statement, Centcom remarked, “Furthermore, Iran’s hazardous actions disrupted the freedom of navigation as global commerce increasingly traverses this crucial international trade route.”
The U.S. forces in the region continue to provide a “safe passage coordination and support” to commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas flows through, Centcom said, adding the military “remains present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect.”
The U.S. military strikes have ended as of 5:30 p.m. EDT Friday, a Pentagon official told The Hill.
On Friday, Iran asserted its authority over the strait, warning that safe passage can only be guaranteed for vessels that coordinate their routes with Tehran.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said any attempts to subvert Iran could lead to “the suspension of the designated parallel route.”
“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes, or decision-making outside of Iran’s considerations as the coastal state, cannot be guaranteed,” the deputy foreign minister said on social platform X.
President Trump signaled Friday afternoon in the Oval Office that kinetic action against Iran may be considered, when asked if Iran would face consequences for hitting the container ship.
“We’ll find out,” he said.
“I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday. Actually four. Not an allied ship, but a ship. A very expensive ship and it was fine, but it took a little beating. They shouldn’t be doing that,” Trump said.