Iran has launched retaliatory attacks against United States military sites in the Gulf after American forces carried out strikes on Iranian military positions, further raising tensions despite ongoing efforts to preserve a fragile ceasefire and protect vital shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media confirmed the attacks early Saturday, describing them as a direct response to fresh US military operations conducted after Washington accused Tehran of attacking a commercial cargo vessel navigating the strategic waterway.
The latest exchange of hostilities has cast doubt over diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a lasting settlement to the conflict, which erupted on February 28 following coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said its latest operation targeted Iranian missile depots, drone storage facilities and coastal radar installations.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes were launched after what it described as “unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces,” accusing Tehran of violating the existing ceasefire agreement.
Iranian state television, quoting a correspondent in the southern port city of Sirik, reported that an explosion was heard late Friday near Taherouyeh Pier.
A military source cited by state media said the blast was caused by a projectile strike in the vicinity.
Despite the incident, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that Sirik Port continued normal operations and that no damage had been recorded to port infrastructure or equipment.
CENTCOM maintained that the operation represented “a powerful response” to what it described as Iran’s attack on a commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump condemned what he called an Iranian drone strike on the cargo ship, insisting the action amounted to a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire.
Vice President JD Vance also issued a stern warning through a post on X, declaring that any further attacks by Iran would be met with force.
Shortly afterwards, Iranian state television announced that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had launched retaliatory strikes against US military sites across the Gulf region.
The Guards warned that any repeat of American aggression would trigger a broader military response.
“If the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader than this,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement carried by state television.
Iran has previously instructed vessels not to enter or exit the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz without its approval, although international shipping has continued, with several vessels reportedly taking routes not authorised by Tehran.
Despite the renewed military confrontation, global oil prices declined sharply as investors expressed optimism that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas exports pass—would continue to recover.
Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon announced a US-brokered framework agreement aimed at reducing hostilities along their shared border.
The agreement, signed in Washington on Friday, includes plans for Lebanese troops to assume control of two Israeli-occupied areas in southern Lebanon as part of a broader process that also seeks the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the accord as the beginning of a roadmap towards lasting peace and security.
“It’s the beginning of the beginning. There’s a lot of work ahead,” Rubio said during the signing ceremony attended by Israeli and Lebanese representatives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the agreement, describing it as a strategic setback for Iran.
He said Israeli forces would remain inside their designated security zone until Hezbollah was fully disarmed, while displaced civilians would not yet be allowed to return.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the agreement as an important first step towards restoring civilian life and re-establishing Lebanese sovereignty over affected areas.
However, the framework has faced strong opposition from Hezbollah.
Supporters of the group staged protests in Beirut after the announcement, while Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah argued that the agreement undermined the broader US-Iran ceasefire process by separating Lebanon from wider regional negotiations.
The conflict also continues to revolve around Iran’s nuclear programme.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi warned that any comprehensive agreement between Washington and Tehran must include strict verification measures to ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons.
Grossi acknowledged that Tehran insists it has no intention of building nuclear arms but stressed that declarations alone would not be sufficient.
“We have to have a very strong verification system in place as soon as is practicable,” he said.
Under the interim arrangement currently under discussion, Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium—estimated at about 440 kilograms enriched to 60 per cent before the war—would be diluted under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
