US hits Iranian military sites after drone strike on cargo ship
CENTCOM said US aircraft targeted Iranian missile, drone and radar facilities after the Ever Lovely was hit near the Strait of Hormuz.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
The United States struck Iranian military facilities Friday after Washington accused Iran of attacking a commercial cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz. The exchange threatens a fragile June 17 understanding meant to curb fighting and reopen a key trade route.
US Central Command said American aircraft hit Iranian missile and drone storage sites as well as coastal radar installations. CENTCOM described the operation as a response to Thursday’s strike on the Singapore-registered Ever Lovely.
“Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that commerce moves through what it called a vital international trade corridor. After the US announcement, strikes were reported near Sirik, a port on Iran’s southern coast, according to Al Jazeera.
Trump says drone hit ship’s upper deck
President Donald Trump said earlier Friday that he viewed the incident as a breach of the June memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. In a social media post, Trump accused Iran of firing at least four one-way attack drones at ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said three drones were intercepted and a fourth struck the Ever Lovely. He wrote that the drone hit the upper deck of what he described as a large cargo ship.
The vessel was passing through the waterway near Oman when it was hit by a projectile Thursday, according to Al Jazeera. No crew members were injured, and the container ship was able to continue its voyage.
Asked at a news conference whether the ceasefire arrangement remained in force, Trump said he did not like that Iran had “took a shot” the previous day and said the ship had taken damage. He did not give a detailed public account of the US response before CENTCOM’s statement.
Ceasefire terms under strain
The June 17 memorandum called for a “permanent” halt to military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera. It effectively paused the war that Al Jazeera reported the US and Israel launched against Iran on February 28.
The agreement was framed as a step toward further talks, including over passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the start of the war, Iran had closed the strait to traffic, pushing up prices for fuel, fertiliser and other goods, according to Al Jazeera.
Under the memorandum, Iran was expected to use its “best efforts” during a 60-day period to allow commercial vessels to pass through the strait without charge. Al Jazeera reported that the arrangement has been under pressure because Israel has continued strikes in Lebanon, which the memorandum covered.
Iran said last week it would close the Strait of Hormuz again in response to attacks in Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera. CENTCOM said Friday that the attack on the Ever Lovely violated the ceasefire and said the US military would keep working to provide safe passage for commercial shipping.
Al Jazeera correspondent Kimberly Halkett said the White House would likely present the strikes as a deterrent move. She said the response appeared more restrained than earlier US attacks, while adding that officials in Washington feared further escalation.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.