U.S. hits Iran again after new Strait of Hormuz tanker attack

Anthony Thompson, USA TODAYSat, June 27, 2026 at 10:38 PM UTC

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The U.S. military launched another round of strikes against targets in Iran on June 27 after Tehran allegedly carried out a new drone attack on a commercial oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command.

CENTCOM said the latest operation came after Iranian forces struck the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Kiku with an attack drone around 4:30 a.m. ET Saturday. The tanker was carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude oil near the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM said.

The military said Iran had been given "given a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement" following U.S. retaliatory strikes a day earlier, but instead "elected not to" after the latest attack on commercial shipping. In response, U.S. aircraft struck multiple military targets, including surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities, according to CENTCOM.

CENTCOM says strikes targeted military infrastructure

CENTCOM said Saturday's operation was conducted "at the Commander in Chief's direction" and was intended as a direct response to Iran's continued attacks on commercial shipping.

"Commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz continue," the command said, adding that U.S. forces remain "vigilant, lethal, and ready."

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The strikes followed U.S. military action on June 26, when American aircraft targeted Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar installations after Iran attacked the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely in the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump said after the June 26 attack that Iran had violated the ceasefire agreement, calling the strike "a foolish violation." Before the initial U.S. retaliation, Trump told reporters, "You'll find out," when asked whether the ceasefire would hold. Vice President JD Vance reiterated that the United States had honored the agreement, warning that "violence will be met with violence."

Commercial shipping remains at the center of tensions

Britain's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said June 27 that a tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, sustaining damage to its bridge, though all crew members were reported safe. The Joint Maritime Information Center also raised its maritime security threat level following the recent attacks.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest energy shipping corridors, has remained a focal point of tensions since fighting erupted between the United States, Israel and Iran earlier this year. While commercial traffic has resumed under the ceasefire, repeated attacks on merchant vessels have threatened efforts to restore normal shipping through the waterway.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US strikes Iran again after latest Strait of Hormuz attack

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