The US and Iran have continued to exchange strikes for the second day in a row as disagreements over traffic in the Strait of Hormuz risk derailing the peace process.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Washington and Tehran on June 17 paved the way for the gradual resumption of commercial traffic through the key waterway, which accounts for some 20% of the global crude oil trade, after months of disruption following the US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February.
However, conflicting interpretations of the deal by the respective sides have led to the resumption of fighting. Iran insists that ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz must get permission from Tehran and only use the route authorities designate, while Washington is demanding that the Islamic Republic provide free and unimpeded access to the waterway.
What did American and Iranians hit?
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday that the American forces carried out “additional strikes” against Iran in response to a drone attack on the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker Kiku earlier that day.
“Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities,” it said in a statement.
Iranian media reported explosions on Qeshm Island and in the southern cities of Sirik and Bandar Lengeh. Shortly after that, US allies in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain and Kuwait, said their air defenses were intercepting incoming projectiles.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said later that it used missiles and drones to strike eight “key US military installations” in the region, including the Ali Al Salem Airbase in Kuwait and the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. The targeted facilities have been destroyed, it added.
The war of wordsThe first day of strikes
US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of violating the ceasefire “again” in a fiery post on his Truth Social platform. “There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist,” he claimed.
The IRGC warned that any further attacks by the US, regardless of their pretext, will be met with “a crushing response.”
It insisted that traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is controlled by Iran in line with the MOU, adding that from now on “vessels found to be in violation will be dealt with more firmly than before.”
“The enemy should understand that violating the ceasefire constitutes a breach of Clause One [of the MOU]… and will result in the complete suspension of all related processes.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also pointed out on Sunday that “no party or state should interfere” with Tehran’s management of the Strait of Hormuz because it could “derail” the peace process between Washington and Tehran.
The first day of strikes
The new escalation between Washington and Tehran followed a strike on a Singapore-flagged container ship on Thursday, the Ever Lovely, which was traversing the key waterway outside of the route approved by Iran.
Trump blamed the attack on Iran, saying on Friday that it fired four drones at the vessel, and that three were intercepted by American forces.
Tehran did not comment, but several hours before it happened, Iran’s newly-formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned that it could not guarantee the safety of ships that departed from a specified course close to the Iranian coastline.
What targets did Washington and Tehran strike?
On Friday, CENTCOM announced that American warplanes struck missile sites, drone storage facilities, and radar installations in Iran in response to the attack on the Singaporean-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz on the previous day.
Iranian media reported that explosions were heard on Sirik Island, in the southern province of Hormozgan.
Several hours later, the IRGC said it hit “deployment sites of the US terrorist military in the region” in retaliation for strikes on the country’s coastal areas.
What does the US say?
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called the attack on the Singaporean-flagged ship a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire by Tehran, but did not say if it would in any way affect further talks between the US and Iran. Under the MOU, the two sides have 60 days to reach a final settlement on their remaining disputes, including Iran’s nuclear program, relief from US sanctions, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
After the retaliatory strikes by Tehran, US Vice President J.D. Vance warned the Iranians that “violence will be met with violence.” Vance claimed in a post on X that “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.”
What does Iran say?
The IRGC said in a statement on Friday that the US follows a “pattern of breaching its commitments” and used “various pretexts, including the passage of a non-compliant vessel through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz” to launch its latest attack against Iran.
The Americans have “received the necessary response,” the statement read. The IRGC also stressed that “should this aggression be repeated, our response will be broader than this.”
Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader and a former IRGC commander, told NewsNation on Friday that “the Strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with the US” and should be managed by Iran and Oman, which are located on the opposite shores of the waterway.
“If the US makes even the slightest threat against Iran, the next war will not resemble the previous one... Trump should know that this time they would suffer extensive human losses,” he warned.
How has shipping in the Strait of Hormuz been affected?
During the conflict, Tehran barred vessels linked to the United States and its allies from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian shipping.
After the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed and the restrictions were lifted, tanker traffic through the waterway resumed. A total of 125 ships transited the strait over the following week, according to maritime tracking data.
On Wednesday, 62 commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz, the highest daily total since the conflict began, though still 53% below the level recorded on the same day in 2025, according to AXSMarine data.
The attack on the Ever Lovely did not halt traffic through the strait, with several dozen vessels transiting the waterway afterward.
Dispute over the waterway
Iran insists that all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz must get its permission and only use a designated route closer to its coast, while the US is promoting another passage close to Oman’s shores.
Tehran also said that it is considering introducing tolls for ships traversing the waterway after the MOU’s 60-day deadline ends. The US and the Gulf states vigorously oppose the idea, calling it unacceptable and a breach of international law.