By Emmanuel Bobby
The United States and Iran exchanged fire near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, intensifying tensions in the Gulf and casting fresh doubt over ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict between Washington and Tehran.
The latest confrontation unfolded just hours before the United Arab Emirates announced that it had responded to a separate missile and drone attack, signaling that instability in the region continues to spread despite international calls for restraint.
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Iranian forces targeted three U.S. military vessels while they were passing through the narrow waterway, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.
“There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers. They were completely destroyed along with numerous small boats,” Trump wrote.
The confrontation underscored the fragile nature of the ceasefire that has been in place around the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of hostilities earlier this year. Before the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply passed through the narrow maritime corridor each day.
Shipping traffic through the strait has now virtually stopped. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, no vessels transited the waterway on Thursday, marking the second consecutive day without commercial marine traffic. Analysts noted that it was the first time since March that the region had experienced two straight days of complete shipping inactivity, heightening fears of a prolonged disruption to global energy markets.
Despite the violence, Trump insisted the ceasefire remained intact.
“The ceasefire is going. It’s in effect,” Trump said during an interview with ABC News, downplaying the exchange by describing it as “just a love tap.”
Later, while speaking with reporters, Trump said diplomatic negotiations with Iran were continuing and described the discussions as productive, though he warned Tehran of severe consequences if talks collapsed.
“Things are going very well, but they have to understand if it doesn’t get signed, they’re going to have a lot of pain,” Trump said.
The president also revealed that the United States had presented Iran with a proposal that would require Tehran to permanently abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons. Trump claimed the agreement would involve Iran surrendering what he referred to as “the nuclear dust” to the United States.
“Yeah, they’ve agreed. But when they agree, it doesn’t mean much, because the next day they forget,” he said, adding that a final agreement “might not happen, but it could happen any day.”
A U.S. official said the American strikes carried out Thursday in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island were intended as defensive actions rather than a renewed large-scale offensive against Iran.
According to U.S. Central Command, three Navy guided-missile destroyers came under attack while moving through the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM said Iranian forces launched missiles, drones, and fast-moving boats toward the vessels, prompting immediate defensive retaliation.
“No U.S. assets were struck,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X. “U.S. Central Command eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes.”
The military command added that the United States was not seeking a broader escalation but remained prepared to defend American personnel and allied forces operating in the region.
Iran, however, rejected the U.S. version of events and accused Washington of violating the ceasefire first.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters claimed U.S. forces attacked an Iranian oil tanker near the coastal city of Jask before Iranian forces responded.
“The invading, terrorist and pirate U.S. military violated the ceasefire by targeting an Iranian oil tanker moving from Iran’s coastal waters in the Jask area towards the Strait of Hormuz, as well as another vessel entering the Strait of Hormuz opposite the port of Port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates,” the spokesperson said, according to Iran’s semiofficial Mehr news agency.
Iranian officials also accused the United States of conducting airstrikes against civilian coastal areas and parts of Qeshm Island during the operation.
Despite the fierce exchange, Iranian state media later reported that calm had returned to the area. Press TV said conditions on Iran’s islands and in coastal cities near the Strait of Hormuz were “back to normal now,” although regional tensions remain high and fears of further military incidents continue to grow.
The latest confrontation comes at a critical moment for global diplomacy and energy security, as world leaders attempt to prevent the conflict from expanding into a broader regional war that could destabilize oil markets and threaten international shipping across the Gulf.
Original article
Comments