What triggered US strikes on Iran? Trump’s ceasefire violation claim explained

The US military has carried out strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump accused the Islamic Republic of violating the ceasefire, following an Iranian drone attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. 

On Thursday, an uncrewed surface vessel launched by Iran, reportedly struck a Singapore-flagged cargo ship in the strait off the coast of Oman. According to US Central Command, its aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone warehouses and coastal radar sites.  

The vessel was capable of continuing on its course through the strait, which is a vital chokepoint for global shipments of oil. 

In light of the current incident, Central Command said: “ The unwanted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire.”

The US Defense Department further clarified that Iran had dangerously impeded maritime transit at a time when commerce increasingly flows through the significant international trade corridor.”

This attack comes more than a week after Trump and the Iranian president signed a memorandum of understanding intended to develop a permanent peace deal to halt the war between their two nations.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp released a statement after the US strikes, “Following the violation of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon, a few hours ago, the treaty-breaking US regime, as always, violated its commitments and, under various pretexts, attacked the coasts of the Islamic Republic of Iran with an airstrike due to the passage of a violating ship through an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The statement further reads: “According to clause 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the arrangements for controlling passage in the Strait of Hormuz are with the Islamic Republic of Iran; however, the US, by provoking various parties, sought to violate this commitment, to which a necessary response was given, and this will be the case from now on.”

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies; meanwhile the primary US motive is to make sure it remains open, while leaving enough room for diplomacy.

For the first time CENTCOM has targeted locations inside of Iran; however it notably avoided striking Iranian infrastructure.

Given the nature of the current incident, the US emphasized that it was responding to an Iranian attack on a commercial vessel, rather than a US warship, clarifying the purpose-driven nature of its military response.