The United States launched airstrikes against Iranian military positions on Friday, responding to what Washington says was a drone attack by Tehran on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes, confirmed by US Central Command (CENTCOM), targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities as well as coastal radar installations.
The incident began when a one-way attack drone struck the M/V Ever Lovely, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, as it was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast. CENTCOM stated that Iranian forces had “clearly violated” the ceasefire agreement in place between the two countries. The US military said it continues to provide safe passage coordination for commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway.
Escalation After Ceasefire
The strikes come just weeks after Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding aimed at securing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Under that provisional deal, the US was to remove its naval blockade of Iran, while Tehran committed to reopening the strait and reaffirmed that it would not procure or develop nuclear weapons. The agreement gave both sides 60 days to negotiate a final settlement.
President Donald Trump, writing on his Truth Social account, said Iran had launched “at least four” attack drones at ships in the strait. “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,” he wrote.
Iranian state media reported that the US strikes hit a telecommunications mast in the Sirik area of southern Iran. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, accused Trump of having “no commitment to the principles of negotiation or a ceasefire”. He added that “this reckless violation of the ceasefire will, as always, lead to retreat and regret on their part”.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical oil and gas transit chokepoints, through which roughly a fifth of global petroleum passes. Any disruption there has immediate consequences for global energy markets and for European economies that rely on Middle Eastern crude. The European Union has long advocated for de-escalation in the region, and the bloc’s foreign policy chief has previously called for dialogue between the parties.
The attack on the M/V Ever Lovely is not an isolated event. Earlier this month, Iran warned against unauthorized passage through the strait, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rejected a proposed Omani corridor for shipping. The US has also warned against Iranian toll schemes on vessels. These tensions have raised concerns in European capitals about the security of maritime trade routes and the potential for a wider conflict.
In a related development, Montenegrin police recently detained an Iranian suspect linked to a decade-long hacking campaign against US universities, highlighting the broader reach of Iranian cyber activities. Meanwhile, the EU’s defence chief has warned of more Russian attacks on European soil, underscoring the multiple security challenges facing the continent.
The US strikes mark a significant escalation in the already fraught relationship between Washington and Tehran. European diplomats are likely to push for renewed negotiations to prevent further military confrontation, which could destabilise the region and disrupt global energy supplies. The coming days will be critical in determining whether the ceasefire can be salvaged or whether the region slides into a broader conflict.
