The President of the USA Donald Trump resumed bombing Iran on Friday, a day after an Iranian attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about the future of a ceasefire deal as Israel and Lebanon signed a binding agreement.
The Trump administration — which joined Israel in launching a war against Iran in late February — and the Iranian government agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) earlier this month. On Thursday, Iran attacked a Singapore-flagged merchant ship, the Ever Lovely, in the strait, a key trade waterways.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran fired at least four attack drones in one direction at ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said. has written on his Truth Social platform on Friday morning. “One of the drones hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive transport ship hard. Damage was caused, but the ship was able to continue on its way. We shot down three other drones. Obviously, this is a senseless violation of our Armistice Agreement.”
Later Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) DESIGNATED that “as a powerful response to yesterday’s attack on a merchant ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” US aircraft “struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites.”
“The unwarranted aggression against merchant shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said. “Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as trade increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor.”
“CENTCOM forces continue to provide coordination and safe passage support for merchant vessels transiting the strait,” Central Command added. “The the US military remains present and vigilant to ensure that all aspects of the Iran deal are observed, respected and in full force and effect.”
Al Jazeera reported Late on Friday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement saying it had responded with fire:
The IRGC said its navy targeted locations in the region where US forces are stationed, without specifying where or providing additional details.
He condemned the US attacks on Iran, saying that Washington, “as always, violated its commitments and launched an air strike” on the Iranian coast.
“According to Article 5 of the memorandum of understanding, Islamabad has agreements on traffic control in the Strait of Hormuz with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the IRGC said.
“However, the US, inciting various parties, tried to violate this commitment, which was met with the necessary response,” the statement continued. “If the aggression is repeated, our response will be more extensive.”
Responding to social media X network, Ebrahim Azizi, who chairs the Iranian Parliament’s Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, said: “The reality in the Persian Gulf has changed. The Strait of Hormuz is governed by Iran, so: Respect the rules. Use safe routes. Don’t confuse control with escalation. If you don’t learn the rules, the Iranian armed forces will teach them to you. This is not a ceasefire violation; it is ceasefire management.”
Noting CENTCOM’s announcement, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) noted that “this marks the first publicly acknowledged military action against Iran since the last ceasefire agreement, potentially representing the most serious test of the fragile understanding between Tehran AND Washington.”
“In particular, the alleged violation of the Memorandum of Understanding resulted in military retaliation,” NIAC added, “against coordination through the executive mechanism that was supposed to be established to monitor the implementation of the agreement.”
As for the administration’s alleged diplomatic efforts, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio DESIGNATED THAT United StatesIsrael and Lebanon – which Israeli forces have bombed throughout the Iran War – had signed a tripartite framework that he claimed “builds a realistic path out of endless conflict”.
“This agreement establishes a clear and structured process to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarmament Hezbollahand dismantle its terrorist infrastructureand enable Israel to return to its borders once that threat to its citizens is removed,” Rubio said. “It also establishes a tripartite Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), facilitated by the United States, allowing the two sides to implement this framework. For Lebanon, this framework offers a real way out of a long crisis. For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to remove the persistent threat on its northern border.
Frame completed PROTESTS in the Lebanese capital. National News Agency of Lebanon reported that Hezbollah supporters gathered on motorcycles Beirut to oppose the agreement.
