US and Iran Exchange Strikes Over Gulf Ship Attack A fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran has shattered into a tit-for-tat contest over who is really protecting “freedom of navigation” — and who is using it as cover for escalation.

US officials frame the latest strikes as reluctant but necessary policing of the Gulf. CENTCOM says American aircraft hit “missile, drone and radar sites in Iran” after the drone attack on the Singapore‑flagged M/V Ever Lovely near the Strait of Hormuz, with US servicemen confirming strikes on “missile and drone depots, as well as coastal radar facilities.” President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Tehran of violating the ceasefire, calling the ship attack a “foolish violation” and branding Iranian actions “unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping.” Senator JD Vance adds the official posture: Washington is “ready to discuss disagreements with Iran, but to respond to violence.”

Tehran, by contrast, casts itself as the regional gatekeeper and victim of American overreach. Iranian outlets report that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “carried out strikes against the deployment sites of the US military in the region,” as retaliation. Iran has not admitted hitting the Ever Lovely, but insists that only Iran and Oman can “define the future administration and maritime services” in the Strait, warning that passage via “unauthorized routes” is at shipowners’ risk.

Opposition-leaning Russian outlets spotlight the asymmetry and legal gray zones. One recounts Trump’s claim that Iran launched “at least four kamikaze attack drones” at ships, one striking “a large and very expensive cargo ship,” which he called a “reckless violation” of the ceasefire. Another notes that Ever Lovely, though damaged, simply sailed on, even as CENTCOM dubbed the incident “unprovoked aggression” and the first known attack on a merchant ship since the June 18 memorandum of understanding.

Where US and Iranian narratives converge is revealing: both insist the other broke the deal first, both say they’re defending regional order — and both are now firing.