US Strikes Iran in Response to Attack on Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz

 Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 26, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 26, 2026. (Reuters)
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US Strikes Iran in Response to Attack on Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz

 Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 26, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 26, 2026. (Reuters)

The US military attacked Iran on Friday in response to an Iranian drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, with each country accusing the other of violating terms of a ceasefire agreed on last week. 

US Central Command said aircraft struck missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites, later publishing a grainy black-and-white video of an explosion labeled "unclassified." A US official reported the operation had concluded. 

Iran said a projectile struck the area around a pier in Sirik in southern Iran, and that Iranian naval forces responded by striking US military targets in the region. Tehran did not provide details about what may have been hit. 

Elsewhere, however, there were signs of progress in ending the four-month-old conflict, as Israel and Lebanon signed an agreement to end the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.  

Both sides framed the deal as an initial step that calls for Hezbollah to disarm and Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon, but it was not clear how it would be enforced. Hezbollah said it would not cooperate. 

'VIOLENCE WILL ‌BE MET WITH ‌VIOLENCE,' VANCE SAYS 

Tehran has said it would control the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states not to ‌side ⁠with Washington after ⁠Thursday's attack on a cargo ship traveling near Oman's coast. President Donald Trump blamed the attack on Iran and said it violated last week's interim agreement. 

"The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire," US Central Command said in its statement announcing strikes, which it called "a powerful response to yesterday’s attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz." 

The US military said it would continue to provide "safe passage coordination and support" to commercial vessels transiting the strait. 

Vice President JD Vance, once seen as a skeptic on US intervention in Iran but now a Trump administration point person on the conflict, said the Americans have honored the ceasefire deal, also known as a memorandum of understanding. 

"Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU is ⁠being applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence," Vance said on X. 

Iranian ‌state media, citing an unnamed military source, reported the strike at the port of Sirik after ‌an explosion was heard there. The source said several warning shots had been fired from Sirik toward vessels that violated Strait of Hormuz regulations about five hours earlier, adding ‌two warning missiles had also been launched from the nearby Karpan area toward the strategic waterway. 

On Saturday, Iran's Mehr news agency cited the head ‌of ports at eastern Hormozgan as saying that there was no damage to the port of Sirik after the attack by the US. The official said the port was operating normally with no damage reported to facilities and equipment. 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that in response its navy "struck the locations where the terrorist US military is stationed in the region" and warned that any further US attacks would be met with a broader response, according to the statement carried on state media. 

The ceasefire agreement gives Iran control over ‌ship traffic in the strait, the Guards said. 

"However, the United States, by provoking various fronts, sought to violate this commitment, and the necessary response was given and will continue to be given. If the aggression ⁠is repeated, our response will be broader ⁠than this," the Revolutionary Guards said. 

OIL PRICES FALL BEFORE LATEST STRIKES 

The US did not immediately respond to Iran's report of striking American targets. 

Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, said in response to the latest strikes that Trump has failed to show a commitment to the principles of negotiation or ceasefire. 

"This reckless violation of the ceasefire will, as always, lead to retreat and regret on their part," Azizi posted on X. 

Before the renewed outbreak of violence, oil prices fell about 3% on Friday, on course for steep weekly losses, in response to oil tankers exiting the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies before the US and Israel launched the war on February 28. 

Fertilizer shipments through the strait have picked up, helping to assuage concerns about a spike in global food prices. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — wrapping up a tour of the Gulf — issued a joint statement with the Gulf Cooperation Council calling for "free, unconditional, and unrestricted navigation" in the strait without tolls or "attempts to assert control." 



IRGC Says it Prepared Scenarios to Avoid US Sanctions

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman, Hossein Mohebi (center), speaks at a press conference in Kharg, west Tehran (IRNA)
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman, Hossein Mohebi (center), speaks at a press conference in Kharg, west Tehran (IRNA)
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IRGC Says it Prepared Scenarios to Avoid US Sanctions

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman, Hossein Mohebi (center), speaks at a press conference in Kharg, west Tehran (IRNA)
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman, Hossein Mohebi (center), speaks at a press conference in Kharg, west Tehran (IRNA)

Tehran has prepared economic scenarios, including expanding trade networks with regional allies to bypass tightening US sanctions, Hossein Mohebi, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman said on Sunday, adding that the results of the new measures would become evident in the near future.

His comments came shortly before US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced imposing new sanctions on Iran at dawn Monday, described as “the toughest in history.”

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Mohebi said: “We have scenarios to counter the adverse effects of the enemy’s war and can easily establish economic relations with countries.”

Cited by Tasnim, the IRGC spokesman said Iran is maintaining economic interactions “right under America’s nose” and bypassing US pressure, and that the results would become evident in the near future.

Mohebi, however, offered no specifics regarding nations, firms, or financial conduits used to bypass US restrictions, asserting only that Iran maintains broad alternative economic plans.

Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened “tremendous economic consequences” on any nation that does business with Iran, without offering details.

Mohebi said the economic warfare is nothing new, noting that the US has imposed sanctions on Iran’s economic sectors for 47 years.

The current US campaign, he added, is primarily aimed at shaping public perceptions and creating the belief that Washington is prevailing.

He described Trump’s announcement of a new economic campaign against Iran as an “implicit admission” that Washington had failed militarily.

Mohebi attributed a large part of his press conference to the nature of the ongoing war, saying the US-Iran war is multifaceted and not limited to military operations, but includes the economic and media sectors.

Touching on previous military confrontations with the US, Mohebi said that before the last war, Iranian forces had targeted “between 30 and 40 US warships” inside the Arabian Gulf.

He did not provide details of the names of the ships, the timing of the attacks or the extent of the damage. There is no independent evidence to prove his statements are correct.

The IRGC spokesperson said the US has no warships left in the Arabian Gulf, affirming a major retreat of American forces following the recent regional clashes. “US troops are now deployed 400 kilometers away from the Gulf waters,” he noted.

Addressing Washington, Mohebi said: “You mobilized all your military capabilities to close the Strait of Hormuz, but you couldn't.”

He warned that if Iran faces another threat, it could target energy pipelines, power plants and internet-connected systems.

Mohebi’s comments came as the Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point of the US-Iran conflict following the collapse of a sixty-day ceasefire negotiated in mid-June 2026.


New UK PM Andy Burnham to Make Visit to Kyiv on Monday

FILE PHOTO: LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 21: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers closing remarks during the first National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism memorial event at Lancaster House on August 21, 2026 in London, England. Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 21: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers closing remarks during the first National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism memorial event at Lancaster House on August 21, 2026 in London, England. Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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New UK PM Andy Burnham to Make Visit to Kyiv on Monday

FILE PHOTO: LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 21: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers closing remarks during the first National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism memorial event at Lancaster House on August 21, 2026 in London, England. Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 21: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivers closing remarks during the first National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism memorial event at Lancaster House on August 21, 2026 in London, England. Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will visit Kyiv on Monday on his first international visit since taking office last month, his office said, as Ukraine marks its 35th independence anniversary.

Burnham has vowed to give strong support to Ukraine as it battles Russia's invasion, AFP said.

The Labor Party leader's visit comes as he announced that Britain had "agreed that defense firm MBDA can release classified information on UK components for the long-range missile, SCALP, to establish local assembly lines in Ukraine", a statement said.

The missile is the French-produced version of the UK's Storm Shadow, with both using shared French and British technology.

The UK was first to gift Ukraine long-range strike weapons for defensive purposes in 2023, according to the premier's Downing Street office.

It said that the decision to release the classified information would "allow the French and Ukrainians to move forward with the Ukrainian assembly of the missile".

"It also complements the major UK effort to rapidly develop low-cost advanced long-range strike weapons for Ukraine through Project Brakestop," it added.

In Kyiv, Burnham will co-chair his first meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, which brings together countries supporting Kyiv.

The French presidency confirmed on Friday that the meeting would be held in a "hybrid" format -- meaning some participants would attend in person while others joined via video conference.

The office of Irish prime minister Micheal Martin indicated that he would participate remotely.

"On Ukraine's 35th anniversary of independence, the Ukrainian people should be in no doubt: the UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes," Burnham said in a statement.

Burnham's visit comes weeks after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky visited London.

During that trip, London also announced it would share with Kyiv information on a new battle-tested electronic jamming capability dubbed "Stone Cloak".

When attached to drones, the tablet-sized, military-grade jammers can hinder Russian air defense systems from tracking and targeting such weapons in-flight, Downing Street said.

Britain has been one of Ukraine's strongest backers since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, committing around 25 billion pounds ($34 billion) in support, including 16 billion pounds in military aid.


North Korea Preparing Further Russia Troop Deployments, No Sign Move Imminent, Seoul Says

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un examine a launch pad of Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un examine a launch pad of Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
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North Korea Preparing Further Russia Troop Deployments, No Sign Move Imminent, Seoul Says

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un examine a launch pad of Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un examine a launch pad of Soyuz rockets during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

South Korea's Defense Ministry said North Korea was continuing preparations for an additional troop deployment to Russia, but had detected no signs that such a deployment was imminent, according to a South Korean lawmaker's office.

The assessment came ‌after North ‌Korea's Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim ‌Jong ⁠Un, last week ⁠denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's claim that Pyongyang planned to send up to 50,000 more troops to Russia to fight for its ally, Reuters said.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement to lawmaker Yu Yong-weon that North Korea had continued to supply Russia with weapons systems, including short-range ballistic missiles, according to Yu's office.

North ⁠Korea is estimated to have supplied Russia with ‌more than 15 million rounds of ‌artillery ammunition, measured in 152-millimetre shell equivalents, it said.

The lawmaker's office, ‌citing a South Korean Defense Intelligence Agency assessment, said North ‌Korean missiles used in the war may have improved in accuracy through battlefield data, alongside Russian technical advice and component support.

The ministry also said the development of some North Korean ballistic missiles and multiple rocket ‌launchers assessed as being intended for use in a conflict with South Korea was nearing completion, the ⁠lawmaker's office ⁠said.

The ministry added that North Korea's Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, capable of reaching the US territory of Guam, was being prepared for operational deployment, according to Yu's office.

North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles have the flight capability to reach the US mainland, the ministry said, but key technologies, including warhead re-entry, have not been verified because all test launches have been conducted on lofted trajectories.

North Korea and Russia have deepened military cooperation since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Pyongyang supplying artillery ammunition and missiles since 2023 and deploying troops from 2024, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western assessments.

Moscow and Pyongyang have previously denied arms transfers.