WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating a ceasefire agreement after what he said was a series of drone attacks targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, alleging that one drone struck a cargo vessel while three others were intercepted by U.S. forces.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran launched at least four one-way attack drones at ships transiting the strategic waterway, describing the incident as a "foolish violation" of the ceasefire. He said one drone damaged the upper deck of a cargo ship but that the vessel was able to continue its voyage, while U.S. forces shot down the remaining three drones.
The British military's maritime security organization had earlier reported that a commercial vessel was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman. Publicly available reports identified the vessel as the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely. No injuries to the crew were reported, and the ship continued its voyage after sustaining damage, according to the available accounts.
The U.S. military later said it carried out strikes against Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites, describing the action as a response to the attack on the commercial vessel. U.S. Central Command said the drone strike on the ship violated the ceasefire and undermined freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran had not publicly accepted responsibility for the attack in the statements available at the time of publication. Iranian officials have previously maintained that maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz should comply with Tehran's security requirements while rejecting U.S. and Gulf states' positions on unrestricted navigation.
The incident occurred amid a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire and renewed diplomatic efforts, with the latest developments continuing to be monitored as officials assess the situation.
