US strikes Iran sites after Strait of Hormuz cargo ship drone attack, Central Command says

The United States carried out strikes on Iran on Friday after a drone attack hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier. US President Donald Trump said the attack broke the ceasefire. US Central Command said the military hit missile and drone sites, along with coastal radar locations in Iran.

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Trump spoke to reporters at the White House shortly before the strikes began. When asked if the US would respond, Trump said, "Youll find out,\". Trump added, \"I dont like the fact that they took a shot yesterday, actually four of them,\". Trump also said of Iran, \"Theyre a little bit different.\".

Strait of Hormuz attack and ship safety

The British military said on Thursday that a container ship was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman. The incident came hours after Iran warned vessels against using the route. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre reported no injuries. The attack added to pressure during a sensitive phase in US-Iran contacts.

The situation also affected a United Nations maritime agency effort to clear ships stuck in the strait. The operation had started this week and used an alternate path near Oman’s shore. The aim was to avoid the strait’s central waters. After the attack, the International Maritime Organisation paused the moves.

On Friday, the International Maritime Organisation said the operation would not restart without assurances of safety. About 115 ships left the area in recent days, the agency said. Around 500 vessels still remained nearby, according to Arsenio Dominguez, the agency’s secretary-general. The halted effort kept many ships waiting in the region.

Strait of Hormuz talks and interim deal terms

The cargo ship incident came as the US and Iran tried to negotiate a lasting end to the war. Iran had stepped up challenges over influence in the Strait of Hormuz, even after an interim deal with the US last week. Under that interim deal, both sides had 60 days to settle remaining terms.

Negotiators were still working on key parts of the agreement. Those included safe passage for shipping through the strait. Another issue was the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The alternative route was expected to ease economic strain and reduce Iran’s leverage in the talks.

Strait of Hormuz shipping and tanker movements

Shipping analysts said the drone strike raised new doubts about traffic returning to normal. A growing number of delayed vessels had started leaving the Gulf. Tanker movements carrying crude oil had also increased. Windward said on X, \"A week of widening commercial confidence in the Strait of Hormuz has hit its first significant test.\"

Windward reported that the waterway stayed open after the incident, with 43 transits recorded. However, it said the return to normal had slowed. On Wednesday, 78 vessels crossed the strait, the highest since the war began. That figure still stayed below the pre-war rate of 130 or more daily.

Lloyds List Intelligence said at least two tankers turned back while trying to use the UN-backed route near Oman. The firm cited Iranian demands that ships use only Tehran-approved routes. Lloyds said on Friday that more than two dozen ships still travelled via the strait’s southern route after the attack.

The strikes and the shipping incident left the Strait of Hormuz under close watch by governments and industry. The pause in UN-backed movements kept hundreds of vessels in the area. Negotiations between Washington and Tehran continued under the interim deal timeline. Analysts tracked transit levels for signs of whether confidence could recover.

With inputs from PTI