The United States and Iran traded military strikes after Washington on Friday accused Tehran of attacking a cargo ship, jeopardizing a fragile ceasefire as diplomats struggle to contain the Middle East war.

U.S. Central Command said the American strikes, against Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar positions, were a response to ¡°unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces¡± that ¡°clearly violated the ceasefire.¡±

It described the operation as ¡°a powerful response to yesterday¡¯s attack on a commercial ship that was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.¡±