Iran and US exchange strikes in Strait of Hormuz, breach ceasefire

Iran said it attacked U.S.-linked military sites in the Gulf after renewed American strikes, while the United States responded by targeting Iranian missile, drone and radar installations. The fighting has spilled into the Strait of Hormuz, where a Singapore‑flagged tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile, injuring its bridge but causing no crew casualties or environmental damage. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre raised the alert level for the waterway and urged vessels to use designated routes.

Both sides accuse one another of violating a recent interim cease‑fire agreement brokered by Pakistan and formalised in a June 17 memorandum signed in Versailles. Bahrain confirmed drone attacks on its territory, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned of stricter control over maritime traffic in the strait. U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump, warned that any further Iranian aggression would be met with violence, while Iran pledged continued retaliation.

The escalating exchanges threaten shipping lanes critical to global energy markets and heighten regional security tensions involving the United States, Iran, Bahrain and Kuwait.