US-Iran Tit-for-Tat Strikes Amid Strait of Hormuz Ceasefire Crisis

On Thursday, June 26, an Iranian drone struck the M/V Ever Lovely, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship owned by Evergreen, in the Strait of Hormuz approximately 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman's port of Dahit. The vessel sustained damage to its bridge and upper deck but no crew casualties were reported, and the ship was able to continue its voyage.

On Friday, June 27, US Central Command struck Iranian missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions in and near the Strait of Hormuz in response to the Ever Lovely attack. CENTCOM described the strikes as a "powerful response" and stated that Iran's drone attacks on commercial shipping clearly violated the ceasefire and undermined freedom of navigation.

On Saturday, June 28, the US military launched additional strikes on Iranian military targets including surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities. These strikes followed an Iranian drone attack on the Panama-flagged oil tanker M/T Kiku near the Strait of Hormuz. A separate tanker in the strait was also struck by a projectile on Saturday; the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported no casualties or environmental damage, and no one immediately claimed responsibility.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated its navy struck US military positions in the region in retaliation for US strikes, launched joint missile and drone attacks on US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, and claimed it destroyed eight important US military facilities. Kuwait's military reported its air defenses were responding to hostile Iranian missile and drone attacks; Kuwait said it detected and intercepted two ballistic missiles with no reported injuries or damage. Bahrain reported that its territory was targeted by several Iranian drones early Saturday, condemned the attack as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, and said Iranian strikes damaged a residential building near the international airport with no fatalities.

The US and Iran agreed on June 17 to end hostilities under a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which was the first such agreement between the two countries since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The MOU required Iran to use its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days, and gave both countries 60 days to achieve a final deal.

President Trump stated that Iran fired four drones at vessels in the strait, that the US shot down three, and one hit the upper deck of the Ever Lovely. This account appeared on Trump's Truth Social platform and was reported by center-left outlets.

Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, characterized Iran's attack on the cargo ship as "ceasefire management" rather than a violation, and accused the US of attacking Iran "in the middle of negotiations." This Iranian perspective was reported by center-left and center outlets.

The tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran marked the first incidents of violence between the two countries since the MOU was signed, according to center-left outlets characterizing these events as the ceasefire's greatest test yet.

The Ever Lovely's location when struck is a matter of dispute between the actors involved. The ship's owner Evergreen and the UK Maritime Trade Operations asserted the vessel was following the UKMTO's recommended route through the strait when it was struck. Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority had separately warned that any passage through routes outside its designated framework would not be covered by safe passage guarantees. This creates a direct disagreement over which route was legitimate under the ceasefire terms.

The US and Iran each characterized the other's actions as ceasefire violations. The US asserted Iran violated the MOU by attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran asserted the US violated the MOU by striking Iranian targets, with the IRGC citing Clause 1 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Both positions were reported across outlets spanning center-left to center-right.

Tehran and Washington also hold contradictory positions on maritime fees. Tehran repeatedly stated it plans to charge maritime service fees (which it distinguishes from tolls) for vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz. The US condemned this as a violation of the MOU and of international maritime law. This actor dispute over whether such fees are permissible under the ceasefire agreement was reported across multiple outlets.

President Trump threatened that if the US is "forced" to resume the war, Iran will "no longer exist." He posted on Truth Social that "there may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job." Vice President JD Vance stated that Iran signed the ceasefire agreement and the US honored it, urged Iran to "pick up the phone" to resolve disagreements about the MOU, and warned that "violence will be met with violence."

The IRGC warned that any further US attacks would be met with a broader response, and that ceasefire violations would result in a "complete halt of all diplomatic processes."