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The U.S. launched strikes against Iran on Friday in response to drone attacks on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, which President Donald Trump called a violation of the ceasefire agreement, U.S. Central Command said.
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A U.S. aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations as well as coastal radar sites, Central Command said in a news release.
Iran allegedly shot at least four drones at ships traveling through the Strait on Thursday, Trump said on Truth Social Friday morning. One of those hit the upper deck of a cargo carrying ship, and the U.S. knocked down the three other drones, he said.
The ship that was struck was the M/V Ever Lovely, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast, according to U.S. Central Command.
“Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement,” Trump said.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” Central Command said. “Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor.”
The memorandum of understanding was signed just last week, and stipulates that the Strait of Hormuz — a vital waterway through which some 20% of the world’s oil passed before the war — will reopen and that Iran agrees to allow safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days.
The strait has been a point of contention between the U.S. and Iran in the war, with Iran seeking to maintain leverage over the waterway, and American and global officials insisting transit should be free. Iran has been warning ships to travel along Tehran-approved routes, but some vessels are traversing along a route that avoids Iranian waters and instead hugs the coastline of the United Arab Emirates and bends along Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the U.N.’s maritime agency, had coordinated the alternative route. Arsenio Dominguez, the IMO’s Secretary General, said the vessel struck Thursday “did not transit under IMO’s evacuation framework.”
Iran has previously warned that it cannot guarantee safety for ships that are not following a specified route close to the Iranian coastline.
When asked whether Iran could face any consequences after allegedly violating the ceasefire, Trump told reporters at the White House earlier on Friday afternoon, “You’ll find out.”
“I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday,” the president added. “They shouldn’t be doing that. So, you’ll find out.”
Ever Lovely’s owner company, Evergreen Marine, said in a statement to the Taiwanese stock exchange Friday that the ship sustained damage to its bridge windows, but no injuries were reported and the cargo onboard was safe.
“The main engine and all navigation equipment continued to operate,” and its seaworthiness was not impacted as it departed the Strait of Hormuz, it added.
Marlene Lenthang is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
Courtney Kube is a correspondent covering national security and the military for the NBC News Investigative Unit.
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