WASHINGTON: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Friday that it had conducted airstrikes on multiple military targets inside Iran in retaliation for an Iranian drone attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz .
According to CENTCOM, Iranian forces targeted a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil as it transited near the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was struck by an Iranian drone, prompting the US response .
In response, US aircraft struck targets linked to Iran’s military surveillance systems, communications centers, air defense installations, drone storage sites, and mine-laying capabilities along the Iranian coast . CENTCOM described the strikes as a “powerful response” to what it called Iran’s “unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping” .
The military command stated that Iran’s actions “clearly violated the ceasefire” and “undermined freedom of navigation” through the vital international trade corridor . US forces continue to provide safe passage coordination for commercial vessels transiting the strait .
The airstrikes came after President Donald Trump called Iran’s drone attack a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement between the two countries . When asked about potential US retaliation, Trump told reporters, “You’ll find out” .
