US Strikes Iranian Drone and Radar Sites After 1 Ship Attack Tests June 17 Ceasefire
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 26
US Strikes Iranian Drone and Radar Sites After 1 Ship Attack Tests June 17 Ceasefire
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 26
Summary
US aircraft hit Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar positions Friday after a drone struck the commercial ship Ever Lovely near Oman a day earlier.
CENTCOM called the action a “powerful response,” saying the strike on the Singapore-registered vessel violated the June 17 memorandum and threatened freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they retaliated against US military installations in the region and warned any repeated US attack would draw a broader response.
No crew were injured and Ever Lovely continued sailing, but the exchange has renewed doubts over the fragile ceasefire and the still-unsettled rules for commercial traffic through Hormuz.
The flare-up highlights a core dispute left vague in the 1.5-page MoU: whether ships can transit freely or must coordinate passage with Iranian authorities.
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.