U.S. Strikes Iranian Military Sites After Cargo Ship Attack, Testing Fragile Ceasefire

The United States launched airstrikes against Iranian military positions on Friday, targeting missile and drone storage facilities as well as coastal radar stations, in what officials described as a direct response to Tehran's alleged assault on a cargo ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The operation marked a sharp escalation that quickly cast doubt on an already fragile ceasefire between the two nations.

U.S. Central Command said the strikes were conducted late Friday local time and were aimed at "unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces," adding that the Iranian attack "clearly violated the ceasefire." In a statement, the command described the operation as "a powerful response to yesterday's attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

Iranian state television, citing a local reporter in the coastal city of Sirik, reported that an explosion was heard at Taherouyeh pier. A military source quoted by state media said the blast was caused by a projectile impact, though no casualties were immediately confirmed.

President Donald Trump earlier condemned what he called an Iranian drone strike on the vessel, saying, "Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement." His administration has been engaged in sensitive negotiations with Tehran aimed at ending a broader conflict that erupted in late February with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The exchange has renewed concerns over the safety of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas exports pass. Iran has warned vessels not to enter or leave the Gulf without permission, but many ships have continued moving, some via an unauthorized southern route along Oman's coast. According to the Kpler tracking platform, about half of the 42 vessels that transited the strait on Thursday used that alternative route.

Meanwhile, the United Nations maritime agency said an evacuation operation had freed 115 ships and 2,500 seafarers trapped by the dispute before the latest attack forced its suspension. Despite the military strike, oil prices fell sharply, reflecting market expectations that traffic through the strait would continue to recover as long as both sides avoid all-out confrontation.

In a separate development, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement with the United States aimed at building peace on their front of the conflict. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, flanked by Israeli and Lebanese envoys at a signing ceremony in Washington, called the trilateral accord "the beginning of the beginning," adding that it would help establish "lasting peace and security."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the deal as a victory against Iran, stating that it sends a clear message: "You have no role in Lebanon — not you, not Hezbollah, and not any terrorist organization." The agreement would allow the Lebanese army to return to two pilot areas in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces remain in their security zone until Hezbollah is disarmed. Displaced civilians would be prevented from returning.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the unpublished framework as a "first step" toward civilians returning home under state sovereignty. But Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah warned that the agreement undermines the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, which he argued envisions resolving the Lebanon front through broader peace talks. "The Lebanese government will be unable to impose this agreement unless they go, with American support, to civil war," he said.

Separately, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cautioned that any final settlement between Washington and Tehran would need strong nuclear safeguards to ensure Iran does not develop atomic weapons. "Intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place as soon as is practicable," Grossi said, acknowledging that the agency has so far only "barely initiated" talks with Iran. The interim agreement currently calls for Iran's enriched uranium stockpile — estimated before the war at 440 kilograms (970 pounds) enriched to 60 percent — to be "downblended" under IAEA supervision.