Large commercial ships and a small boat sail in the waters off the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, June 21, 2026.
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An oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was reportedly hit by a projectile on Saturday, the latest escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran in recent days following an interim agreement to end hostilities in the region.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center said a ship in the strait was hit by an “unidentified projectile”, damaging the deck, but the crew was reportedly unharmed. Bahrain also condemned an Iranian drone strike on Saturday as a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty.
The new attacks come as the United States and Iran are expected to commit to a 60-day ceasefire as they hold negotiations to end their war. But both accused the other of violating the terms of the agreement.
The American army struck Iran Friday after the president Donald Trump accused the Islamic Republic of “senseless violation” of a ceasefire agreement by launching drone attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command said its planes “struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar sites.”
This comes after a drone attack by Iran hit the Singapore-flagged country on Thursday. cargo Ever Lovely in the strait off OmanCentral Command said in an article on X. The ship continued through the strait, a major artery for oil shipments.
Iran has not directly commented on reports of specific attacks on ships. However, state media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired “warning shots” at unspecified ships not approved by Iran that attempted to pass through the canals, Reuters reported.
These new attacks come more than a week after Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a deal. memorandum of understanding aimed at developing a permanent activity peace agreement end the war between their two nations.
Read more about CNBC’s politics coveragevice-president J.D. Vance visited Switzerland last weekend to discuss this agreement with his Iranian counterparts.
Vance, in an article on X Friday, wrote: “Iran has signed a ceasefire agreement. We honored him. »
“If they have disagreements about how the MOU is applied, they can pick up the phone,” Vance wrote. “But violence will be met with violence.
Shortly before Central Command announced the retaliatory strikes Friday, a reporter at the White House asked Trump whether violating the ceasefire would have consequences for Iran.
“You will know,” the president replied.
After the US strikes, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said in a statement: “Following the violation of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon a few hours ago, the US regime, which violated the treaty, has, as always, violated its commitments and, under various pretexts, attacked the coast of the Islamic Republic of Iran with an airstrike due to the passage of an infringing ship through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The IRGC Navy responded to this aggression by striking the positions of the US terrorist army in the region,” the IRGC said.
“According to Article 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, arrangements to control passage through the Strait of Hormuz are the responsibility of the Islamic Republic of Iran; however, the United States, by provoking various parties, has sought to violate this commitment, to which a necessary response has been given, and will now be the case.”
“If the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader than that,” the IRGC said.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the National Security Committee of the Iranian parliament, said in an article on X: “The United States has once again attacked Iran in the middle of negotiations. »
“The failed US president has shown that he is not committed to the principles of negotiation or ceasefire,” Azizi said.
“This reckless violation of the ceasefire will, as always, result in retreat and regret on their part. The blame game no longer works.”
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report.
