Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday said Iran violated the ceasefire agreement between the two sides by launching at least four one-way attack drones at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“One of the drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive cargo-carrying ship,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“Damage was done, but the ship was able to proceed on its way,” he said. “We knocked down three other drones.”
Trump said the drone attack “obviously” violated the newly signed US-Iran ceasefire agreement, which was brokered through international mediators earlier this year. He did not name the ship or specify when the strike occurred.
However, the British military said Thursday that a vessel had been hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman. The International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, said Thursday in a statement that it had suspended efforts to evacuate ships stranded in the crucial global energy waterway in the wake of the drone attack.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, is one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints. Nearly 30 per cent of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the strait, making any disruption a matter of global economic concern.
The US and Iran had reached a ceasefire agreement earlier this year following months of heightened tensions in the region. The deal was intended to de-escalate military activities and ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through international waters.
Trump’s accusation comes amid increasing international scrutiny of Iran’s naval activities in the Gulf region. The US has maintained a significant military presence in the area, with naval vessels and aircraft conducting regular patrols.
There has been no immediate response from Iranian officials to Trump’s accusation. The US State Department has not issued a formal statement on the matter.
(IANS)
