The United States has carried out a new round of strikes on Iran after a drone attack hit a Panama-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, further escalating tensions despite a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month.
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US Central Command (Centcom) said the strikes targeted military equipment, communications systems, air defence sites and drone storage facilities. It described the operation as a direct response to what it called Iran's continued attacks on commercial shipping.
According to Centcom, Iran had been given an opportunity to uphold the ceasefire but instead launched a one-way attack drone that struck the tanker MT Kiku. The US military said its response was intended to deter further attacks on vessels using the strategic waterway.
Iran vows stronger response
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the US had struck five coastal positions, claiming Washington justified the attacks by accusing the IRGC Navy of confronting the tanker.
The IRGC also announced missile and drone strikes against US infrastructure in Kuwait and Bahrain. It warned that violations of the ceasefire would halt the implementation of the agreement and said any future attacks, regardless of their scale, would receive a "crushing response".
The statement added that, under a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this month, Iran has authority over navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz and said vessels deemed to be in violation would face tougher enforcement measures.
Following the Iranian response, Kuwait said its air defence systems had intercepted hostile missiles and drones, while Bahrain urged residents to remain calm and seek shelter in safe locations.
Trump issues fresh warning
US President Donald Trump responded on Truth Social, saying it was "very possible" that Tehran would "never learn".
He warned that there could come a point when the United States would no longer be able to act with restraint and would instead "militarily complete the job" it had begun. Trump added that, if that happened, "the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist."
Despite the renewed fighting, Centcom said commercial shipping continued to move through the Strait of Hormuz.
Shipping dispute deepens
The latest military action came less than a day after the US launched strikes in response to a separate drone attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Ever Lovely on 25 June.
Washington said that earlier attack breached the ceasefire by targeting commercial shipping. Tehran rejected that claim, arguing the vessel had travelled through the Gulf using an unauthorised route and that the US retaliation itself violated the agreement.
The ceasefire memorandum, agreed on 17 June, called on Iran to use its "best efforts" to ensure the safe, toll-free passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days.
The waterway, which handles a significant share of global oil and gas exports, was effectively closed after US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February, disrupting energy markets and pushing up global oil prices.
In recent days, US officials had expressed optimism about negotiations, with Trump stating that Iran had assured Washington it would not impose tolls or other charges on ships using the strait. He warned that talks would end immediately if those assurances proved false.
Iranian and Omani officials met in Muscat earlier this week to discuss future navigation arrangements. While Oman reiterated support for toll-free passage, Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, said the administration of the Strait of Hormuz "will never go back to the way it was before the war."
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 28 June 2026