US Strikes Iranian Missile and Drone Sites After 1 Drone Hit Ever Lovely
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 26
US Strikes Iranian Missile and Drone Sites After 1 Drone Hit Ever Lovely
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 26
Summary
US aircraft hit Iranian missile and drone storage sites plus coastal radar locations on Friday, with strikes reported near Sirik after Washington called the move a “powerful response” to the Ever Lovely attack.
Thursday’s strike hit the Singapore-registered cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman; no crew were injured, but the Trump administration said Iran launched four one-way attack drones and one reached the vessel.
CENTCOM said the attack violated the June 17 ceasefire memorandum and threatened freedom of navigation, while Iran said it had neutralized the US attack and vowed a swift retaliation.
The exchange exposes how fragile the 60-day truce is, with disputes over who controls commercial passage through Hormuz after Iran had reopened traffic only under conditions Washington rejects.
As U.S.-Iran strikes escalate despite peace talks, is a wider war now inevitable?
Can the new Israel-Lebanon peace deal survive the escalating U.S.-Iran shadow war?
With the Strait of Hormuz choked by conflict, are global food and energy crises next?
2026 Strait of Hormuz Blockade: Maritime Attacks, U.S.-Iran Tensions, and Worldwide Economic Fallout
Overview
In late June 2026, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated sharply when a container ship operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine was struck by an unidentified object, an incident attributed to Iran. This attack disrupted ongoing efforts to restore normal maritime traffic and raised serious concerns about the safety of international shipping through this vital chokepoint. In response, the U.S. military launched retaliatory airstrikes, highlighting the international community’s determination to protect freedom of navigation. The situation worsened as the International Maritime Organization began evacuating vessels due to reported mines, underscoring the growing instability and threat to global trade.