America has struck Iranian targets including the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for drone and missile attacks on US warships.
Donald Trump has described US strikes as ‘just a love tap’ and insisted that a ceasefire remains in place despite both sides exchanging fire last night.
Iranian forces had launched ‘multiple missiles, drones and small boats’ as US Navy destroyers sailed through the strait – but the fleet was not damaged.
US ‘aerial attacks’ then struck the coasts of Bandar Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island.
‘The explosions at the Bahman pier on Qeshm Island occurred during an exchange of fire between Iranian armed forces and the enemy,’ Iranian state TV reported, claiming that the fragile ceasefire between the countries had been broken.
Last night Donald Trump told ABC News in a phone interview that the retaliatory strikes against Iran were a ‘love tap’ – not the war restarting.
‘It’s just a love tap’, the commander-in-chief said. When asked if it had broken the ceasefire he said: ‘No, no, the ceasefire is going. It’s in effect.’
Trump explained that the US was able to get three ‘world-class American Destroyers’ through the Strait with no damage in a post to Truth Social on Thursday night.
‘Three World Class American Destroyers just transited, very successfully, out of the Strait of Hormuz, under fire. 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, which are being used to take the place of their fully decapitated Navy,’ he said.
Trump said that the Iranian missiles and drones were completely unsuccessful in damaging US assets in the strait.
US officials told Fox News they don’t believe this is a ‘restarting of the war’ or an ‘end to the ceasefire.’
But Iran’s top joint military command says that the United States carried out air attacks on ‘civilian areas’ with the ‘cooperation of some regional countries.’
Explosions have rocked Qeshm Island in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz on Thursday
The news comes after President Trump sent a one-page memo with concessions to try and secure a permanent peace deal
‘These boats went to the bottom of the Sea, quickly and efficiently. Missiles were shot at our Destroyers, and were easily knocked down. Likewise, drones came, and were incinerated while in the air. They dropped ever so beautifully down to the Ocean, very much like a butterfly dropping to its grave!’
He then trashed Iran as ‘not a normal country’ for refusing to let the destroyers pass through the waterway.
‘They are led by LUNATICS, and if they had the chance to use a Nuclear Weapon, they would do it, without question — But they’ll never have that opportunity and, just like we knocked them out again today, we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don’t get their Deal signed, FAST!’
He finished by calling the destroyers part of a ‘Wall of Steel’ amid the US’ Naval blockade of the strait.
This comes as President Trump sent a one-page memo with concessions to try and secure a permanent peace deal. That memo would lift US sanctions, free billions in frozen assets and open a path to uranium enrichment.
The 14-point memorandum of understanding is being negotiated between senior Iranian officials and Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The White House believes the memo could finalize a framework to end the war within 48 hours.
If signed, a 30-day window would open for both countries to negotiate a larger agreement covering the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of all US sanctions on Iran, and new limits on its nuclear program.
The deal calls for Iran to halt all uranium enrichment for 12 to 15 years with automatic extensions if Tehran violates the terms, according to Axios.
The deal, if signed, would formally end the war and open a 30-day window for both countries to negotiate a larger agreement covering the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of all US sanctions on Iran, and new limits on its nuclear program
Trump has been at pains to avoid anything resembling the 2015 Obama deal he spent years trashing as the ‘worst deal ever’
Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, on Monday
Trump’s latest proposal to Iran includes some key elements that are similar to the nuclear deal secured by Barack Obama which the President got rid of in his first term
Another key provision would have the regime remove its highly enriched uranium stockpile from the country, though the memo does not specify a destination.
Trump has been at pains to avoid anything resembling the 2015 Obama deal he spent years trashing as the ‘worst deal ever.’ But the emerging framework echoes it in striking ways: sanctions lifted, frozen billions released and Iran capped at the same 3.67 percent enrichment level agreed to by Obama.
Oil prices plunged on news of the proposed deal with Brent crude, the global benchmark, falling by more than 10 percent to below $100 per barrel. Stock futures tied to the Dow rose 1.1 percent, S&P 500 futures surged 0.9 percent, while Nasdaq futures climbed 1.6 percent.
Behind the scenes, Israel is already lining up fresh strikes on Iran should the deal collapse, with senior Iranian officials and the country’s energy infrastructure squarely in the crosshairs, an Israeli source told CNN.
The bombardments had been ready for execution on the eve of the ceasefire agreed in early April and were accelerated again this week after Iranian missiles were fired toward the United Arab Emirates on Monday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wary of Tehran’s peace overtures from the outset, is said to favor ‘a short campaign aimed at pressuring Iran into further concessions in negotiations,’ the source added.
