US STRIKES IRAN, TEHRAN HITS BACK AS HORMUZ CEASEFIRE UNRAVELS
MoU signed just last week under severe strain as drone attacks on ships, tit-for-tat military strikes, and Bahrain drone assault compound the crisis
NewsArc Bureau New Delhi, June 27, 2026
A fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran — formalised barely ten days ago — is showing deep fractures, as the two sides traded fresh military strikes on Friday and Saturday, while the Strait of Hormuz remained a flashpoint with a second commercial vessel attacked in as many days.
THE TRIGGER: MV EVER LOVELY
On Thursday, Iran launched at least four attack drones at ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. One of the drones struck the upper deck of the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel MV Ever Lovely, causing damage, though the ship was able to proceed. The US military intercepted and destroyed three other drones.
President Donald Trump, posting on Truth Social, called Iran’s action a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement.
US RETALIATES
The United States struck Iran on Friday in what it described as retaliation for the drone attack. US Central Command said its forces targeted missile and drone storage locations as well as coastal radar sites in Iran.
The strikes were still ongoing even as CENTCOM released its public statement confirming the action, according to a US official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Trump, speaking at the White House shortly before the strikes were launched, said: “I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday — actually four of them.”
IRAN STRIKES BACK
Iran condemned the US strikes on its missile, drone, and radar facilities, and announced that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had responded by “targeting” US military locations in the region.
On Saturday morning, Bahrain reported Iranian drone strikes on its territory. The IRGC claimed it had targeted a “US terrorist army” in the Gulf state. Bahrain’s foreign ministry described the assault as a brazen violation of its sovereignty that undermined regional peace efforts.
SECOND SHIP ATTACKED
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre, which helps protect commercial shipping, reported Saturday that a tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, with all crew reported safe. The vessel’s bridge sustained damage, and no oil spill was reported.
IMO PAUSES EVACUATION MISSION
The International Maritime Organization said it was temporarily pausing its vessel evacuation operation in the region following the attacks. While the strait remained operationally open with dozens of transits recorded after the incidents, the pace of normalisation had visibly slowed. Prior to the Thursday strike, 78 vessels had transited the strait on Wednesday — the highest single-day figure since the war began, though still well below pre-war averages of 130 or more daily transits.
ROUTE DISPUTE DEEPENS
A parallel dispute over shipping lanes continued to simmer. Iran turned back three foreign tankers after they attempted transit through the “southern corridor” — a route established by the IMO and Oman that avoids Iranian waters. Iran rejected this route, insisting vessels use only the Tehran-approved lane that hugs the Iranian coastline.
Authorities in Oman told European officials there was “no way of going back to the pre-war status quo” in the Strait, and raised the possibility of levying fees on vessels using the waterway. The Trump administration has consistently opposed any such tolls.
DIPLOMACY UNDER STRAIN
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding — signed just last week — stipulated that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen and that Iran would allow safe passage of commercial vessels free of charge for 60 days. The fresh exchanges of fire have now put that understanding under acute stress.
On Lebanon, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a trilateral framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon on Friday. However, Hezbollah rejected the deal on Saturday, calling it a “disgrace” and vowing to continue fighting Israeli forces.
KHAMENEI FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
Separately, authorities in Iran were finalising plans for the burial of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Reports indicated he would be interred in the north-eastern city of Mashhad, with officials considering air transport of his remains to manage crowd security during the final journey.
