Ceasefire under strain as Iran, US trade strikes near Hormuz
Tehran says American forces violated ceasefire by targeting oil tankers and civilian areas as Trump downplays escalation
TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — Iran’s military said Friday that the Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran launched cruise missile and combat drone attacks against U.S. military destroyers after American forces targeted Iranian oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and struck civilian areas in southern Iran.
The U.S. military said its naval forces came under attack from Iranian missiles, drones and fast boats in the Strait of Hormuz and responded by intercepting “inbound threats” and striking “Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces.”
U.S. President Donald Trump described the attacks on Iranian targets as a “love tap,” telling U.S. media that “the ceasefire is going. It’s in effect.”
Iranian military officials said the confrontation began after U.S. forces allegedly attacked an Iranian oil tanker traveling from the Jask region toward the Strait of Hormuz and another vessel near the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah port.
In a statement, the Iranian Army said its navy attacked American destroyers that had “violated the ceasefire and assaulted Iranian oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and within our territorial waters.” The operation reportedly involved missiles, combat drones and rockets.
“The American destroyers changed course and left the area,” the statement said.
Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, accused the United States of violating the ceasefire by targeting Iranian vessels and conducting airstrikes on civilian areas in Bandar Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island along Iran’s southern coast.
He said Iranian armed forces launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. military vessels east of the Strait of Hormuz and south of the port of Chabahar, claiming the attacks inflicted “considerable damage” on American warships.
Iranian media also reported that air defenses were active over western Tehran during the escalation.
According to Iranian state media, the Bahman Pier on Qeshm Island came under attack during the exchange of fire between Iranian and enemy forces operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that parts of the commercial section of the pier were damaged. Residents in the southern city of Bandar Abbas also reported hearing multiple explosions.
Fox News reported that the U.S. military carried out strikes on the ports of Qeshm and Bandar Abbas but said the attacks did not signal the start of a wider war.
Iranian media claimed the attack on Bahman Pier may have involved fighter jets from the United Arab Emirates, though no independent confirmation was immediately available. Israel’s i24NEWS quoted an Israeli source as saying Israel had “no connection whatsoever” to the strikes.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency warned that if Emirati involvement were confirmed, the UAE would “pay a heavy price” for what it described as a hostile act.
Iranian officials said the country remained prepared to defend its territorial integrity and strategic waters in the Persian Gulf.
No casualties were immediately reported from the strike on Bahman Pier, and Iranian authorities said investigations into the incident were continuing.
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