US strikes Iran in response to drone strike on commercial ship 

The United States has renewed its attacks against Iran, in response to an incident a day earlier when a cargo vessel was struck by an Iranian drone.

On Friday, the US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said it had issued a “powerful response to yesterday’s attack”.

“U.S. aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

“Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor.”

US strikes were reported near the Iranian port of Sirik after the announcement.

The country’s president, Donald Trump, had warned earlier in the day that he considered the attack on the Singapore-registered commercial vessel, the Ever Lovely, a “foolish violation” of the June 17 memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran.

That memorandum had called for a “permanent” end to “military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”, effectively pausing the war the US and Israel had launched against Iran on February 28.

But the memorandum was not final but was rather framed as a precursor to further negotiations, including over passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global trade.

More details to come…