The US military said on Friday it had carried out strikes on targets in Iran in response to a drone attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz that Washington blamed on Tehran.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites as well as coastal radar installations after Iran targeted the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely with a drone on Thursday.
The vessel was sailing along the Omani coast after exiting the Strait of Hormuz when it was hit, the US statement said.
CENTCOM described the attack as an "unwarranted aggression" that violated the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran and undermined freedom of navigation through one of the world's most important trade corridors.
Iranian media, including state broadcaster IRIB and Press TV, reported explosions near the southern city of Sirik in Hormozgan province, close to the Strait of Hormuz. The reports did not immediately specify the cause.
President Donald Trump had earlier on Friday accused Iran of launching at least four drone attacks against ships in the strait, saying US forces shot down three of them.
"Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He said the vessel that had been hit was able to continue its voyage.
Washington and Tehran reached a framework agreement this month aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The accord is intended as the basis for more detailed talks scheduled to last 60 days.
The latest exchanges marked the first military strikes since the agreement was signed, raising uncertainty about whether the negotiations can proceed.
The US is seeking Iranian concessions over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme, while Iran has pressed for the release of frozen assets held abroad and broader sanctions relief. Washington earlier this week temporarily suspended sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
CENTCOM said US forces would continue supporting commercial shipping transiting the strait.
