---
title: "US Counterstrike on Iran: How the Attack on a Container Ship Sabotaged the Islamabad Memorandum"
description: "The US launched retaliatory air strikes on Iran following a drone attack on the container ship Ever Lovely. Vice President Vance confirmed the sabotage of the Islamabad Memorandum and warned Tehran: \"Violence will be met with violence.\" 🚢💥🛑 #USA #Iran #Geopolitics"
date: 2026-06-27T11:33:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/us-counterstrike-on-iran-how-the-attack-on-a-container-ship-sabotaged-the-islamabad-memorandum
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# US Counterstrike on Iran: How the Attack on a Container Ship Sabotaged the Islamabad Memorandum

![Tweet by JD Vance stating the U.S. honors ceasefire with Iran but will meet violence with violence, alongside CENTCOM post confirming U.S. strike on Iran in response to attack on commercial vessel](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/27/otvetnyy-udar-ssha-po-iranu-kak-ataka-na-konteynerovoz-sorvala-islamabadskiy-memorandum/otvetnyy-udar-ssha-po-iranu-kak-ataka-na-konteynerovoz-sorvala-islamabadskiy-memorandum-1.webp)

The situation in the Persian and Oman Gulfs has sharply escalated following a statement by US Vice President JD Vance. Washington officially confirmed air strikes on military facilities on Iranian territory, issuing an ultimatum to Tehran. The White House's public declaration was a direct response to the incident that occurred on June 25–26, 2026, when attack drones targeted the civilian container ship *Ever Lovely* flying the flag of Singapore.

### Breakdown of the Ceasefire Regime

Events are unfolding against the backdrop of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (US-Iran MoU) signed just a week prior, on June 17, 2026. The agreement, brokered by Pakistan between Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian, provided for a 60-day ceasefire and guaranteed unimpeded shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the attack on the vessel, operated by the Taiwanese company Evergreen, was classified by the US side as a gross violation of Article 5 of the treaty.

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), carrier-based aviation and missile systems were deployed in response to Iran's actions. Precision strikes were launched against drone warehouses, missile armaments, and coastal radar stations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which were responsible for monitoring the southern maritime corridor.

### Washington's Position: "Violence Will Be Met with Violence"

Vice President JD Vance, who led the American negotiating team in Islamabad, firmly outlined the parameters for the use of force. In his statement on the social network X, he emphasized that the US is complying with the terms of the agreement but will not tolerate a unilateral breach of the regime.

"Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We are complying with it. If they have disagreements regarding how the memorandum of understanding is applied, they can pick up the phone. But violence will be met with violence," Vance stated.

According to the White House, Tehran deployed at least four suicide drones to attack the *Ever Lovely*.

### Tehran's Reaction and Legal Collision

The Iranian side categorically rejected accusations of violating the ceasefire regime. A senior representative of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Ebrahim Azizi, characterized the IRGC's actions as "managing the truce regime" and defending the sovereign rights of a coastal state. Tehran insists on exclusive authority to regulate navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the right to levy fees after the expiration of the 60-day period stipulated by the memorandum.

Under international law, the realization of the right to self-defense and the protection of merchant shipping (within the framework of Article 51 of the UN Charter) does not annul the effect of bilateral de-escalation agreements; however, it shifts their implementation into a special regime of military-political parity, where the ceasefire directly depends on the mutual fulfillment of procedural obligations.

### Economic Consequences and the Threat of a Nuclear Conspiracy

The escalation has already impacted global markets. Analysts from the German Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) recorded a short-term increase in the price of Brent crude oil, while gold prices moved into a defensive range. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) suspended the evacuation of vessels, and Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez confirmed the freezing of the UN humanitarian program to withdraw the civilian fleet from the Persian Gulf zone.

A critical factor remains the fate of the 60-day negotiation round on Iran's nuclear program, which began on June 17. The failure of the memorandum's terms jeopardizes the drafting of a final agreement, and the US Treasury Department, despite an issued OFAC license, has blocked the further track of unblocking Iran's funds totaling $12 billion.