On Friday (local time), the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it had conducted airstrikes in retaliation for Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely a day earlier.
According to a CENTCOM statement, American aircraft struck Iranian missile and UAV storage sites as well as coastal radar stations. “Iran’s dangerous behavior undermines freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through this vital international trade corridor,” CENTCOM said.
The airstrikes were reported near the port of Sirik in southern Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier warned, calling the attack on the Ever Lovely a “stupid violation” of the June 17 memorandum between the U.S. and Iran. That memorandum called for a permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, which had paused the war launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran on February 28.
However, the memorandum was not a final agreement but rather a stepping stone for further negotiations, including on passage through the Strait of Hormuz — a vital waterway for global trade. Since the war began, Iran had closed the strait, driving up prices for fuel, fertilizers, and other goods.
The memorandum had stipulated that Iran must make its best efforts within 60 days to allow commercial vessels free passage through the strait. But the fragile ceasefire was threatened when Israel continued attacks on Lebanon. Iran responded by re-closing the Strait of Hormuz last week.
The incident occurred Thursday as the Ever Lovely transited the strait near the Omani coast, coming under fire. None of the crew were injured, and the ship continued its voyage. President Trump accused Iran of launching at least four attack UAVs toward the vessel; the U.S. shot down three, but one struck its target.
“One of the UAVs hit the top deck of a large, very expensive cargo ship,” Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social. At a press briefing, when asked about the ceasefire agreement, he said, “I don’t like that they fired yesterday. The ship was slightly damaged. They shouldn’t have done that.”
CENTCOM asserted that the Trump administration considers the attack a violation of the ceasefire. “The unprovoked aggression by Iranian forces against a commercial vessel clearly violates the ceasefire. Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behavior undermines freedom of navigation,” the statement read.
Al Jazeera correspondent Kimberly Halkett assessed that Friday’s strikes were seen by the White House as a deterrent action. She noted that this U.S. response appeared more restrained compared to previous attacks. “There is no doubt the U.S. acted in a measured way, showing it distinguishes between an Iranian attack on a commercial vessel and an attack on a U.S. warship. But there is certainly concern in Washington about the risk of escalation from this,” she said.
