US and Iran Exchange Military Strikes for First Time Since Signing Peace Accord

The United States and Iran exchanged direct military strikes for the first time since the signing of their peace accord, after Washington accused Tehran of attacking a commercial cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, throwing the fragile ceasefire into serious jeopardy as diplomats scrambled to prevent a wider collapse of the Middle East peace process.

US Central Command confirmed that American forces had carried out strikes against Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar positions, describing the operation as a response to “unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces” that “clearly violated the ceasefire.” The Pentagon characterised the military action as “a powerful response to yesterday’s attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iranian state television, citing a reporter based in Sirik, reported that an explosion was heard late Friday at Taherouyeh pier in the southern port city, quoting an informed military source as confirming the blast was caused by a projectile impact in the area.

Trump and Vance Issue Stark Warnings

US President Donald Trump publicly condemned the incident earlier in the day, describing it as an Iranian drone strike on the vessel and declaring: “Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our ceasefire agreement.” Vice President JD Vance followed with an unambiguous warning of his own, posting on X that “violence will be met with violence” should Iran carry out any further attacks.

Within minutes, on Saturday morning Iran time, the Revolutionary Guards announced via state television that they had struck US military positions across the Gulf region in retaliation for the American strikes, warning: “If the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader than this.”

Hormuz Shipping and Oil Markets React

The military exchanges renewed urgent concerns about the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global waterway through which approximately one fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports normally flow. Iran has warned vessels not to enter or leave the Gulf through the strait without prior permission, though ships have continued to move, with some opting for a route not sanctioned by Tehran. According to shipping tracking platform Kpler, around half of the 42 vessels that transited on Thursday took a non-approved southern route along Oman’s coastline.

A UN evacuation operation that had successfully freed 115 vessels and 2,500 seafarers trapped by the dispute was forced into suspension following the renewed attacks. Despite the escalation, oil prices fell sharply, reflecting cautious market hopes that traffic through the strategic waterway would continue recovering.

Lebanon Peace Framework Signed in Washington

Amid the Iran-US flare-up, a separate but related diplomatic development unfolded in Washington, where Israel and Lebanon signed an agreement with the United States intended to lay the groundwork for peace on the Lebanon front of the broader war. At the signing ceremony, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, flanked by Israeli and Lebanese envoys, stated that the trilateral accord “begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security,” adding: “It’s the beginning of the beginning. There’s a lot of work ahead.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the framework as a victory against Iranian influence, asserting: “Iran has been trying to force us to withdraw from southern Lebanon through pressure but, in effect, Israel, Lebanon, and the United States are telling them: this is none of your business.” Netanyahu confirmed the agreement would allow the Lebanese army to return to two pilot areas in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces would remain in their security zone pending Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the unpublished framework as “a first step” toward civilians returning home “under the sovereignty of the Lebanese state.” However, Hezbollah supporters took to the streets of Beirut to protest the deal, with Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah warning that the Washington signing was designed to undercut the US-Iran ceasefire and cautioning that the Lebanese government would be unable to enforce the agreement “unless they go, with American support, to civil war.”

Nuclear Safeguards Remain Central Concern

In a parallel development, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog issued a cautionary message, warning that any final US-Iran settlement must incorporate robust verification mechanisms to ensure Tehran does not pursue nuclear weapons capability. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi acknowledged that “the government of Iran has declared quite clearly that this is not their intention,” but stressed: “intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place… as soon as is practicable.”

Iran’s nuclear programme remains one of the most contentious elements of the ongoing negotiations, with Tehran and Washington offering conflicting accounts of whether IAEA inspectors will regain access to Iranian nuclear facilities. The interim agreement stipulates that Iran’s pre-war stockpile of enriched uranium — estimated at 440 kilograms enriched to 60 percent — should be downblended as part of any final resolution.