US and Iran trade strikes over Strait of Hormuz as ceasefire agreement unravels

The United States and Iran have escalated military confrontations just over a week after signing a preliminary peace agreement on June 15, with both sides accusing each other of violating the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian. The latest flare-up centers on control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint that Iran had previously blocked as leverage during months of regional conflict.

The US Central Command conducted airstrikes against Iranian targets on Friday night, targeting missile and drone storage locations and radar sites along Iran's southern coastline. The strikes were framed as retaliation for an attack on the Singapore-flagged commercial vessel Ever Lovely on Thursday off Oman's coast. President Trump characterized the attack as a "foolish violation" of the ceasefire, stating that US forces also intercepted three additional drones in a coordinated attack. The US military released footage of the strikes and stated that Iranian actions "clearly violated the ceasefire" and undermined freedom of navigation.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded with attacks against US military installations in the region but provided limited details about targets struck. The IRGC warned that any repeated aggression would trigger a more extensive response. Separately, Bahrain's Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as an Iranian drone attack on its territory, characterizing it as a violation of sovereignty and international law.

Mohsen Rezaei, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader and former IRGC commander, accused the United States of violating two specific provisions of the MoU. He stated that US support for Israeli actions in Lebanon violated the first paragraph, which mandates the termination of all military operations on all fronts, while continued escalation in the Strait of Hormuz violated the fifth paragraph, under which Iran is responsible for ensuring safe passage of commercial vessels for 60 days at no charge. Rezaei warned that Iran's response to each violation would be "swift and crushing." The Iranian foreign ministry also condemned the US airstrikes as violations of Article 1 of the MoU and the UN Charter.

Analysts and observers have raised concerns that the agreement risks collapse amid the escalating cycle of strikes and counterstrikes. The struggle for control of the strategic waterway reflects deep tensions over regional security and Iran's use of the strait as geopolitical leverage. The IRGC previously warned that only routes approved by Tehran could ensure safe passage, in response to Oman's announcement of an alternative route closer to the Omani coast. As commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has increased since the ceasefire agreement, the stakes for maintaining the accord continue to mount.