Iran launched a drone attack targeting Bahrain on Saturday, while a commercial tanker was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Britain’s UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), in what appears to be Tehran’s response to overnight United States airstrikes on Iranian military facilities.
‎The latest incidents mark a renewed escalation in the Persian Gulf, raising fears that the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran could unravel despite an interim agreement aimed at paving the way for a broader peace settlement.
‎‎The US strikes came after Iran allegedly launched a one-way attack drone at a commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, extending a cycle of retaliatory actions that has increasingly threatened regional stability and global shipping.
‎‎The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out precision strikes on Friday against Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, as well as coastal radar installations.
‎US officials said the operation lasted approximately one hour and was intended to safeguard freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway while leaving room for continued diplomacy.
‎Washington described the operation as a measured response to Iran’s alleged attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel M/V Ever Lovely, which it said was struck by a one-way attack drone while exiting the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast on 25 June.
‎The US maintained that the attack constituted an unprovoked violation of the ceasefire and undermined international maritime security.
‎Iran condemned the American strikes, describing them as a breach of the United Nations Charter and the memorandum that ended hostilities between the two countries.
‎In a statement, Iran’s foreign ministry said it had retaliated by striking targets linked to US forces, although it did not identify the locations or provide further details.
‎Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that the kingdom had been targeted by “a number of Iranian drones”, characterising the attack as “a flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents”.
‎The renewed hostilities have also heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.
‎QatarEnergy-chartered liquefied natural gas tanker Umm Slal became the latest vessel to reverse course near the strait, reflecting growing caution among shipping operators amid the deteriorating security environment.
‎The Joint Maritime Information Center also raised its regional threat level for commercial vessels operating in the area following the latest attacks.
‎US President Donald Trump said earlier on Friday that Iran had launched at least four drones at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with one striking the upper deck of a cargo ship.
‎‎”The Islamic Republic of Iran shot at least four One Way Attack Drones at Ships transversing the Strait of Hormuz. One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship. Damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way. We knocked down three other Drones,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
‎‎The attack prompted the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to suspend a coordinated evacuation programme that had been due to begin earlier this week for more than 11,000 seafarers stranded aboard vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The initiative had been organised in cooperation with Iran, Oman, Gulf coastal states and the United States.
‎According to the IMO, the evacuation plan was halted after Thursday’s attack on the commercial vessel near Oman. The organisation noted that the affected ship had not been sailing under its designated evacuation framework.
‎Reports also indicated that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had warned that vessels using routes not approved by Tehran would face increased risks, prompting more shipping companies to seek Iranian authorisation before transiting the waterway. While Tehran has sought to direct maritime traffic through routes under its supervision, Washington has supported an alternative corridor along Oman’s coastline.
‎CENTCOM said US forces remain deployed in the region and continue to coordinate the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz while monitoring compliance with the ceasefire agreement.
‎US Vice-President JD Vance urged Iran to pursue diplomatic channels to resolve any disputes over the implementation of the ceasefire.
‎”If they have disagreements about how the MOU is being applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence,” Vance wrote on X.
‎‎The latest escalation unfolded over the weekend while global financial markets were closed, leaving investors to assess the potential impact on oil prices and broader market sentiment when trading resumes on Monday.
