The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out retaliatory strikes against Iranian military targets on Friday after what it described as a drone attack by Iranian forces on a Singapore-flagged container ship the previous day. The ship's bridge and upper deck sustained damage in the attack, though all 21 crew members were unharmed.
The development was followed by another attack on a Panama-flagged tanker transiting the waterway, which was struck by an unidentified projectile on Saturday, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). No casualties were reported.
The latest exchange of attacks casts doubt over the MOU, reached earlier this month, with each side accusing the other of violating the agreement, even as negotiations continue over Iran's nuclear program, sanctions relief and regional security arrangements.
Shortly after the latest strikes, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his own social medial platform Truth Social, "There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started," adding that Tehran would "never learn."
He even ratcheted up his threat, saying "If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!"
Earlier, a South Korean-operated container ship anchored near the strait also suffered a similar attack last month, sustaining damage when two drones struck the ship's stern roughly a minute apart. The vessel was later towed to Dubai for repairs.
South Korea has been gradually withdrawing its vessels from the strait since the MOU was reached. Of the 26 Korean-operated ships stranded since the waterway was closed in late February, only three including the damaged cargo ship Namu with about 40 crew members now remain there.
Authorities here say the remaining vessels will be able to depart when security conditions allow, though renewed hostilities raise questions about when or whether they will make their way out from the strategic chokepoint, which handles roughly a quarter of global energy shipments.
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