![Cargo ships in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz, viewed from northern Ras Al Khaimah, UAE on the 11th of last month (local time). [Reuters]](https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/016/2026/04/20/0002631956_001_20260420075309777.jpg?type=w860)
[Herald Economy=Jung Mokhee] On the 20th (local time), Iran announced retaliation, claiming that the United States violated the ceasefire agreement by attacking an Iranian merchant ship.
According to Reuters, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command, which oversees Iran’s military operations, claimed in a statement that the U.S. military fired at an Iranian merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman. Iran has defined this as a ceasefire violation.
Iran’s state media reported that the merchant ship was en route from China to Iran early in the morning.
A spokesperson for Khatam al-Anbiya warned through Iran’s state media, “We warn that the military of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this ‘armed piracy’ by the U.S. military.”