--- title: "US strikes Iranian drone, missile sites after cargo ship attack" description: "The airstrikes targeted several coastal military installations a day after Iranian drones damaged a commercial ship near Oman." date: "2026-06-26" modified: "2026-06-26" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/us-strikes-iran-cargo-ship/" categories: - "Around the World" - "Iran" - "Middle East" - "News" --- # US strikes Iranian drone, missile sites after cargo ship attack ![U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft maneuver after receiving fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility May 23, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt Tiffany A. Emery)]() *Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft maneuver after receiving fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility May 23, 2026. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Tiffany Emery.* U.S. aircraft carried out multiple strikes on Iranian missile and drone infrastructure on Friday in response to a Thursday attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. [U.S. Central Command said]() the attacks were in response to Iran's [June 25 attack]() on the M/V Ever Lovely, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship that was near the Omani coast when several one-way attack drones neared it. [On social media](), President Donald Trump said that the U.S. shot down some of the drones, but one hit the ship. The UK Maritime Trade Operations said the vessel's bridge was damaged, but no one was injured and the Ever Lovely continued on. During Friday's strike, U.S. aircraft hit coastal radar installations and also Iranian drone and missile storage sites. Iranian media reported explosions near the coastal city of Sirik, per [al-Jazeera](). Central Command said that the attack on the cargo ship “clearly violated the ceasefire” that Iran and the United States agreed to this month, which opened the door for negotiations to end the war. Thursday’s attack prompted the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization to halt its evacuation of ships that had been stuck in the strait. Central Command said in their statement that U.S. forces "continue to provide safe passage coordination and support" to commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. “The U.S. military remains present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect,” the statement said. ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()