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On Thursday, the U.S. and Iran fired at each other, marking their most intense conflict since both sides agreed to a temporary ceasefire. Iran stated that everything returned to normal afterward, while the U.S. claimed it didn’t want to escalate the situation.
Iran’s military alleges that the U.S. attacked two ships entering the Strait of Hormuz and launched strikes on Iranian land. The U.S. military responds that it retaliated against Iranian assaults.
President Trump told an ABC reporter that the ceasefire was still active and minimized the clash, calling it “just a love tap,” according to her social media post.
Iranian state media reported that the situation had stabilized following the strikes. These hostilities came as Washington was waiting to hear Iran’s reaction to a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the fighting, though key issues such as Iran’s nuclear program would remain unresolved for now. Since the ceasefire started on April 7, there have been intermittent exchanges of gunfire between the two nations.
Iran’s top military command accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire by attacking an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel, as well as conducting airstrikes on civilian areas on Qeshm Island and nearby coastal regions in Bandar Khamir Sirik. In response, Iran said it targeted U.S. military ships east of the Strait and south of Chabahar. A spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters claimed the strikes caused significant damage, but the U.S. Central Command denied any of its assets were hit.
CENTCOM indicated Iran used missiles, drones, and small boats in its attack, which targeted three U.S. Navy destroyers. The U.S. responded by striking missile and drone sites and other locations. The military emphasized it does not seek escalation but remains prepared to defend American forces.
Later, Iran’s Press TV reported that after hours of fighting, the situation on Iranian islands and coastal cities near the Strait of Hormuz had returned to normal.
This isn’t the first time the sides have exchanged fire since the ceasefire. Just days earlier, the U.S. military said it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted cruise missiles and drones to prevent Iran from disrupting a U.S. naval effort to facilitate shipping through the Strait.
Previously, the U.S. floated a proposal to formally end the conflict, although it does not address Iran’s nuclear activities or the reopening of the Strait—an essential route that handles about 20% of global oil and gas shipments. Iran has not yet committed to the plan.
Separately, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran-supported figures, including Iraq’s deputy oil minister and three militia leaders. Meanwhile, Israel announced it had killed a Hezbollah commander in an airstrike in Beirut, the first such attack there since last month’s ceasefire. A key Iranian demand in negotiations with Washington has been a halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
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