US Strikes Iran After Drone Attack on Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz
6 verified3 unconfirmed1 contested
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on Friday in response to a drone attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, which President Donald Trump said violated a recently signed ceasefire agreement. U.S. Central Command stated that American aircraft hit Iranian missile and drone storage locations as well as coastal radar sites. The attack occurred a day earlier when four drones were fired at vessels in the strait, with one striking the upper deck of the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely, according to reports from the U.S. military and the British maritime agency. No injuries were reported from the incident, and the ship’s owner confirmed the vessel remained seaworthy. The drone attack prompted the International Maritime Organization to pause its plan to evacuate stranded seafarers from the Gulf. Washington and Tehran had agreed to a 60-day interim ceasefire last week, under which Iran was to allow safe passage through the strait. Trump told reporters he did not approve of the Iranian action, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that “violence will be met with violence.”
What’s verified
The U.S. military struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites after a drone attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump said the drone attack violated the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement signed the previous week.
The attacked vessel was the M/V Ever Lovely, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast.
Iran fired four drones on Thursday, one of which hit the ship’s upper deck; the other three were intercepted by U.S. forces.
No injuries were reported from the drone attack on the cargo ship.
The International Maritime Organization paused its plan to evacuate stranded seafarers through the strait following the attack.
Where accounts differ
One source reported that the U.S. strikes on Iran had concluded, citing unnamed officials. Another source, citing a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the strikes were still ongoing.
Not yet confirmed
Iranian officials, according to one report, said the drone attack was not a violation but “ceasefire management.”
One report stated that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its response would be “swift and decisive,” but later a semi-official Iranian news agency said the IRGC had not made an official statement regarding the U.S. strikes.
The exact number of ships evacuated from the strait and the number still stranded is not consistently reported across sources.
Key figures
President Donald Trump (United States)
Vice President JD Vance (United States)
Ebrahim Azizi (head of Iranian parliament’s national security commission)
Arsenio Dominguez (Secretary General, International Maritime Organization)
U.S. Central Command
Sources: NBC News, dw.com, csmonitor.com
