The United States carried out airstrikes on Iranian military facilities on Friday after Tehran was accused of attacking a commercial cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier, according to US Central Command.
In a statement, CENTCOM said American forces targeted Iranian military infrastructure linked to missile and drone operations.
“US aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites,” CENTCOM said. “The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire.”
The military command later released footage showing one of the strikes against Iranian positions.
A US official told CNN that the operation should not be viewed as a return to large-scale military conflict between Washington and Tehran, at least for the time being.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), however, claimed it had retaliated by targeting US military positions across the region, according to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV.
US Vice President JD Vance, who played a major role in brokering last week’s agreement with Iran, warned that any further aggression would draw a forceful response.
“Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone,” he posted on X alongside CENTCOM’s statement. “But violence will be met with violence.”
The latest escalation followed comments by President Donald Trump, who earlier on Friday condemned Iran’s reported drone strike on a cargo ship in the strategic waterway.
Speaking to reporters, Trump described the incident as a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement reached to end hostilities between the two countries.
When asked whether Iran would face consequences for the attack, Trump replied: “You’ll find out.”
The president had first addressed the incident on Friday morning through a post on Truth Social.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran shot at least four One Way Attack Drones at Ships transversing the Strait of Hormuz. One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship,” he wrote.
“Damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way,” he added. “We knocked down three other Drones. Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement.”
Later, while addressing a gathering of conservative Christians in Washington, DC, Trump said the attack showed that Iran still retained some military capability despite months of conflict.
“We still have a fight. They have some capability, not much. They’re not winning or anything, but they have some capability; they can still shoot,” he said.
“Nobody saw it coming,” he said of the Iranian strike, “and it hit a ship and did some damage. Can’t do that stuff.”
During a subsequent Oval Office appearance, Trump declined to reveal whether Washington would take military action in response.
“I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday,” Trump said when asked whether the ceasefire remained intact. “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.”
When pressed on a possible response, he repeated: “You’re going to find out,” before ending the exchange with reporters.
US Central Command initially referred questions about the attack to Trump’s earlier statement, while the Department of Defense’s official X account posted three American flag emojis above a screenshot of the president’s Truth Social message.
The incident marked the first major breach of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed recently to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pave the way for expanded negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Although Trump has acknowledged that a prolonged conflict could have resulted in “economic catastrophe,” the latest developments highlight continuing tensions over navigation rights in one of the world’s most important shipping corridors.
Iran has consistently viewed its control of the Strait of Hormuz as a significant bargaining tool. On Thursday, the IRGC warned that vessels would only receive safe passage if they used routes approved by Iran.
While the agreement called for shipping activity to return to pre-war levels, both sides have disagreed over whether Tehran can impose transit fees on vessels passing through the waterway. Trump has insisted the route should remain free of charges, while Iranian officials maintain they reserve the right to levy fees.
The disputed attack occurred shortly after Iranian authorities reiterated their position on regulating maritime traffic through the strait.
The United States had previously lifted its blockade on Iranian ports following the signing of the agreement.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the cargo vessel was struck on its starboard side by an unidentified projectile, causing damage to the bridge.
No injuries were reported and there was no environmental impact.
