U.S. military says it struck multiple targets in Iran as ceasefire is strained by 2nd day of attacks

By — Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Jon Gambrell, Associated Press By — Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/us-military-says-it-struck-multiple-targets-in-iran-as-ceasefire-is-strained-by-2nd-day-of-attacks Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter U.S. military says it struck multiple targets in Iran as ceasefire is strained by 2nd day of attacks World Updated on Jun 27, 2026 6:46 PM EDT — Published on Jun 27, 2026 2:25 PM EDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military said Saturday it had struck multiple targets in Iran at President Donald Trump's direction, continuing a string of attacks that have shaken the war's uneasy ceasefire. U.S. Central Command, in a post to social media, said that U.S. military aircraft targeted Iranian military "surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities" following an attack on a merchant vessel early on Saturday morning. The ongoing strikes in the Persian Gulf show the danger of the Iran war again spinning out of control, even after Iran and the U.S. reached an interim deal to try and agree on a final accord to end the conflict. WATCH: U.S. strikes Iran after drones target cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz The incident follows a similar back and forth that occurred just days prior when an Iranian drone struck a merchant vessel off the coast of Oman on Thursday and the U.S. military retaliated with strikes the next day. U.S. Central Command said that in this latest attack Iranian forces attacked the oil tanker Kiku with a one-way drone. The tanker was laden with more than two million barrels of crude oil and sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to ship tracking websites, the Kiku left a Qatari oil field in the middle of the Persian Gulf earlier in the week and was bound for a port in the United Arab Emirates that sits on the Gulf of Aman, just on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz. It appeared to be attempting to use a route that was established near the coast of Oman that is serving as an alternative to the route sanctioned by Iran that runs through its own waters. A multinational maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy said Saturday that it would expand the Omani route to allow for both inbound and outbound traffic, likely setting up a new flashpoint with Tehran, which sees the strait as a key source of leverage in ongoing talks with the U.S. The U.S. military said that "Iran had a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement" but "elected not to" when its forces attacked the Kiku. Iran state TV reported explosions in an area just north of the Strait of Hormuz. Bahrain condemns Iran's drone attack Bahrain has been one of the strongest critics of Iran and is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. It just hosted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a meeting of the Gulf Coop