Washington and Tehran have exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing each other of “unprovoked” violations.
The US military has launched a wave of strikes on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran accused Washington of violating the ceasefire and retaliated against American warships in the area.
US President Donald Trump downplayed the latest strikes as “just a love tap,” after Tehran “trifled” with Washington, while warning that the US would strike Iran “a lot harder, and a lot more violently” unless Tehran signs a deal “fast.”
“I’ll let you know when there’s no ceasefire… You’re just going to have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran,” the US leader stated.
US Central Command claimed it targeted Iranian launch sites, command-and-control locations, and surveillance nodes in “self-defense.”
The US Department of War accused Iran of an “unprovoked” missile, drone, and small-boat attack on the USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason – all of which are involved in imposing the blockade of Iranian ports.
Tehran, however, accused Washington of violating the ceasefire first by attacking an oil tanker inside Iranian territorial waters and coordinating with “some regional countries” to strike civilian areas along the coasts of Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island.
The IRGC Navy claimed that three US warships fled the strategic waterway after suffering “significant damage.” Both CENTCOM and Trump, however, insisted that no US assets were hit.
Ahead of the latest escalation, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reportedly lifted restrictions on US military access to bases and airspace, which had previously forced Trump to halt his much-hyped Project Freedom military escort operation in Hormuz.
The US Department of War did not specify which areas of Iran were hit, but a senior American official told Fox News that US forces struck the port in Qeshm, Iran and Bandar Abbas, as well as the Bandar Kargan naval checkpoint in Minab.
