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U.S. and Iran trade strikes after attack near Strait of Hormuz

newsJun 27, 2026563,245

U.S. forces struck Iranian military targets in and near the Strait of Hormuz after an Iranian drone hit the tanker M/T Kiku, a Panama-flagged vessel, earlier this week. CENTCOM said U.S. Navy and Air Force fighter jets struck 10 Iranian targets including surveillance, communications, air defense, drone storage, and minelaying facilities in retaliation for the tanker attack. The Wall Street Journal quoted a U.S. official saying the struck tanker was carrying about two million barrels of crude. CENTCOM also said U.S. forces shot down two drones that were targeting commercial vessels. The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a separate tanker bridge damaged by an unidentified projectile while all crew were reported safe and no environmental damage was noted. The International Maritime Organization is working to evacuate more than 500 ships from the Strait of Hormuz, and Iranian adviser Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran intends to charge fees for transit through the strait. The exchanges raise direct questions about whether the two-sided strikes will unravel the ceasefire memorandum and have already prompted calls for further regional security and shipping measures.

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