Iran severely violated the ceasefire on Saturday, resuming attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and launching drone strikes against Bahrain. “Iran launched a drone assault targeting Bahrain while a ship in the Strait of Hormuz separately came under attack Saturday,” the Associated Press reported. “The attacks in the Persian Gulf show the danger of the Iran war again spinning out of control, even after Iran and the U.S. reached an interim deal to try and agree on a final accord to end the conflict.”
This is the second Iranian attack on a cargo ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with the U.S.-Iran framework agreement. “A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain’s maritime security agency said,” Reuters reported. “Britain’s UKMTO maritime security agency said the tanker that was hit on Saturday had sustained damage to its bridge, with all crew reported safe.”
On Thursday, an Islamic Guard (IRGC) drone struck a Singapore-flagged cargo ship. The attack forced the United Nations (UN) to suspend an evacuation plan for stranded ships and sailors. U.S Central Command responded with strikes on “Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites,” posing a threat to the shipping in one of the world’s busiest waterways.
The IRGC boasted of striking U.S. military bases in the region, likely referring to its drone attacks on Bahrain. “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a statement saying it has targeted US military positions in the region, in response to the US strike against Iran,” the Sky News reported.
On Friday, President Donald Trump slammed Tehran for a “foolish violation” of the 12-day-old ceasefire agreement. “The Islamic Republic of Iran shot at least four One Way Attack Drones at Ships transversing the Strait of Hormuz. One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship,” he posted on Truth Social.
Following Thursday’s ceasefire violation, President Trump warned the Iranian regime to expect a U.S. response.
The attack on international shipping comes as Iran tightens its control over the waterway and demands $40 billion from the Gulf Arab states to restore the waterway that carried 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas before the war. These actions are in direct violation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the U.S. and Iran. Under the agreement, the Mullah regime is obliged to restore maritime trade in the Strait within the next 2-3 weeks and ensure toll-free access to shipping.
According to the D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on Thursday, “Iran is attacking and threatening vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to advance its objective of establishing control over the waterway. The recent attack and ongoing threats also likely seek to undermine international efforts to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
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