The US military conducted air strikes on Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar sites on June 26, 2026, targeting locations in southern Iran [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. The strikes came in response to an Iranian drone attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely in the Strait of Hormuz on June 25. The ship was hit by a projectile but sustained no casualties and continued its voyage [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].

US President Donald Trump described the drone strike as a "foolish violation" of a ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreed with Iran on June 17, which called for a halt in hostilities and guaranteed safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait for 60 days [1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10]. Trump emphasized the violation of the ceasefire by Iran when he said, "Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement" [6].

US Central Command called the air strikes a "powerful response" and stated, "The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire," underscoring the threat posed to freedom of navigation in a vital trade corridor [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9]. Vice President JD Vance affirmed US compliance with the ceasefire and warned that "violence will be met with violence," adding that Iran could discuss disagreements over the MoU by phone [3, 4, 9].

Iran reported a projectile struck near a pier in Sirik in southern Iran during the US strikes. Iranian naval forces reportedly responded by targeting US military positions in the region. However, US sources have not confirmed retaliatory Iranian attacks following their air strikes [3, 4, 8, 9, 11], [1, 2, 6].

Iran has warned Gulf states not to side with Washington after the strikes and has suggested it will seek to control the Strait of Hormuz [3, 4, 7, 9]. The ceasefire agreement remains fragile amid ongoing regional tensions, including Israeli bombardment of Lebanon, complicating prospects for peace [12, 7].

The US plans to evacuate about 11,000 sailors from the Strait of Hormuz region amid the heightened risk [1]. The ceasefire agreement signed June 17 guarantees commercial vessel safe passage for 60 days, a window that continues despite the latest clashes [1, 5, 7].

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced retaliatory strikes against US military positions on June 27, indicating an escalation following the US air attacks [11, 8].