The United States launched strikes against Iranian military targets Friday after Tehran attacked a commercial cargo ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. military officials warning that operations remain ongoing.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, along with coastal radar sites, in response to Iran’s attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel M/V Ever Lovely.
According to CENTCOM, the cargo ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast on June 25 when it was struck by an Iranian one-way attack drone.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor.”
The command added that U.S. forces “continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait” and remain “present and vigilant.”
A senior U.S. defense official confirmed to Fox News that American military strikes against Iranian targets were still underway Friday night.
The official also stressed that the U.S. military posture in the Middle East has remained unchanged since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month.
According to the official, the United States continues to maintain a significant military presence in the region, including two aircraft carriers, 17 guided-missile destroyers, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and more than a dozen air squadrons operating at sea.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, with a substantial portion of global energy supplies and international commerce passing through the narrow waterway each day.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
