U.S. Forces Hit Iranian Sites After Cargo Ship Attack
U.S. forces struck Iranian missile storage facilities, drone storage sites, and coastal radar installations on June 26, 2026. The Pentagon said the strikes were a direct response to an Iranian drone attack on the Ever Lovely, a Singapore-flagged container ship, in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman the day before.
“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire.”
U.S. Central Command statement, June 26, 2026
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps promised a “swift and decisive” reply, according to Iranian state television. Vice President JD Vance told reporters, “violence will be met with violence.” Iran has not yet issued a formal government response to the strikes.
The Ceasefire Agreement Left Hormuz Passage Unresolved
The strikes are escalating a dispute that was written into the deal that ended the prior U.S.-Iran conflict. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) that ended months of war between the two countries states that Iran “will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days.” That language is vague enough that Iran and the United States read it differently.
The Ever Lovely attack came hours after Tehran warned commercial ships to stop traversing Hormuz without Iranian permission. President Trump has publicly declared the waterway open to unrestricted navigation. Iran says it has the right to manage maritime traffic through the strait. A senior Iranian diplomat said Friday that the ceasefire requires ships passing Hormuz to coordinate with Iran first.
Congress Has Not Received a War Powers Notification
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing U.S. forces into hostilities. As of the evening of June 26, no formal war powers notification had been submitted to Congress. The strikes follow a pattern of executive military action in the region taken without prior congressional authorization or debate.
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil trade. Any sustained military exchange there affects energy prices worldwide, including at U.S. gas pumps.
What You Can Do Now
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Call your senators at (202) 224-3121 and demand they invoke the War Powers Resolution. Ask specifically whether they have received the required 48-hour notification from the White House. If they have not, ask what they plan to do about it.
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Call your House representative at (202) 225-3121 and ask whether the Armed Services Committee intends to hold emergency hearings on the legal authority for the Iran strikes. The 48-hour notification clock started on June 26.
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Contact the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at (202) 224-4651. Ask Committee Chair members to publicly confirm whether a war powers notice was received and to schedule a classified briefing for all senators on the scope and legal basis of the operation.
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Find your members of Congress at congress.gov/members and send a written message demanding they vote on any authorization before additional strikes are ordered. The Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war.
Sources
Foreign Policy: U.S. Strikes Iran Over Attack on Ever Lovely in Strait of Hormuz
The Guardian: JD Vance Says Violence Will Be Met With Violence After Iran Strikes
National Archives: War Powers Resolution Text, 50 U.S.C. Chapter 33
Brennan Center for Justice: The War Powers Resolution and Presidential Military Action