US claims Iran ceasefire intact despite escalating Gulf clashes
Washington insists truce holds as military actions and conflicting reports fuel tensions across Strait of Hormuz
DUBAI/WASHINGTON (MNTV) — The United States has claimed that a fragile ceasefire with Iran remains in place, despite renewed clashes in the Gulf that underscore the volatility of a conflict widely driven by Washington and its allies.
The assertion came after a fresh exchange of fire, triggered when US naval forces attempted to force open the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz — a move seen by observers as a direct escalation following weeks of military pressure on Tehran.
The Pentagon said US forces destroyed six Iranian boats, along with missiles and drones, during the confrontation.
The operation was part of a US naval campaign branded “Project Freedom,” launched under Donald Trump to escort oil tankers through waters effectively destabilized by earlier US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attempted to downplay the escalation, claiming the ceasefire still stands.
“We’re not looking for a fight,” Hegseth said, even as US forces continued military operations in contested waters. “Right now the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching very closely.”
However, Iranian officials have rejected Washington’s narrative, accusing the United States and its regional allies of repeatedly violating the truce and endangering global shipping routes.
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, warned that ongoing US actions were pushing the situation toward further instability.
“We know well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we have not even begun yet,” he said, signaling Tehran’s readiness to respond.
Tensions flared sharply after Iran launched missile strikes against US vessels and targeted the United Arab Emirates with drones and missiles, in what it described as retaliation against US military aggression and coordinated actions with Israel.
The Strait of Hormuz — through which a significant portion of the world’s oil and fertilizer supplies pass — has been effectively paralyzed since the United States and Israel initiated attacks on Iran in late February, triggering widespread disruptions in global energy markets.
Iran has tightened its control over the waterway, warning it could deploy mines, drones, and fast attack craft, while the US has responded with a blockade of Iranian ports and heavily escorted naval convoys.
Conflicting accounts have emerged over recent events. The US claims its warships successfully escorted commercial vessels through the strait, while Iran has denied any such crossings, accusing American forces of targeting civilian and cargo ships.
Iranian media reported that US strikes hit non-military vessels, resulting in civilian casualties — a claim Washington has not addressed. Tehran also said it fired warning shots at a US warship approaching the strait, forcing it to retreat.
Independent verification of the incidents remains difficult amid the fog of war and competing narratives from both sides.
According to Dan Caine, Iran has engaged in multiple attacks on commercial shipping and US forces since the ceasefire was announced in early April. However, he acknowledged that the scale of these incidents has so far remained below the threshold of full-scale war.
Meanwhile, the conflict has expanded beyond maritime tensions. Iranian strikes reportedly ignited fires at key oil infrastructure in the UAE, including facilities in Fujairah, raising concerns about the vulnerability of regional energy hubs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the latest escalation proves that military solutions are futile, warning Washington and its allies against dragging the region into what he described as a “quagmire.”
He confirmed that diplomatic efforts are ongoing, with Pakistan mediating indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, though progress has stalled amid continued hostilities.
The war — driven by US and Israeli military campaigns targeting Iran’s strategic capabilities — has already claimed thousands of lives and severely disrupted the global economy.
Despite ongoing backchannel diplomacy, major sticking points remain, particularly US demands that Iran surrender its enriched uranium stockpiles — a condition Tehran has firmly rejected.
As tensions persist, the situation in the Gulf remains highly unstable, with each new incident exposing the fragility of a ceasefire that exists more on paper than in reality.
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