WASHINGTON, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military on Friday launched airstrikes on Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar installations, calling the operation "a powerful response" to the alleged Iranian drone attack on a commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier, according to the U.S. Central Command.

Iran's drone attack on commercial shipping in the strait "clearly violated the ceasefire" and "undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor," the command said in a post on X.

The command vowed to "continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait" while remaining "present and vigilant" to ensure the newly signed U.S.-Iran peace deal is "obeyed, and in full force and effect."

Earlier on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran launched at least four one-way attack drones at the cargo ship on Thursday.

One drone "solidly hit" the upper deck of the vessel, causing damage but allowing it to continue its voyage, Trump said, adding that three other drones were shot down by U.S. forces.

The newly signed U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) called for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that carried about 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas before the war, and required Iran to allow commercial vessels to pass without charge for 60 days.

The latest shipping data pointed to a partial rebound in traffic through the strait following the MoU signing, though current flows remained well below prewar levels. ■