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U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the ceasefire with Iran remains in effect after a major exchange of fire involving U.S. Navy destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement came as three U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers passed through the strategic waterway while facing Iranian missile and drone attacks and completed the transit without damage, according to Central Command (CENTCOM).
U.S. forces also carried out self-defense strikes on Iranian missile and drone launch sites, command centers, and intelligence facilities in response to attacks on the destroyers.
Iranian media reported exchanges of fire on Qeshm Island and explosions near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
In an interview with ABC News, Trump described the U.S. strikes as "a love tap" and insisted the ceasefire was still active.
Speaking separately to reporters in Washington, Trump suggested a broader agreement with Iran to end the conflict could be reached soon, although he acknowledged it was not guaranteed.
"It might not happen, but it could happen any day," he remarked.
Trump also warned Tehran against further escalation, saying Iran had "trifled" with the United States and would face overwhelming retaliation if the ceasefire collapsed.
"The plan is very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," he added.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed early Friday that it launched a large-scale missile and drone operation targeting U.S. destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC Navy said the operation was carried out after a U.S. ceasefire violation involving strikes on Iranian oil tankers near Jask port and close to the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Fujairah port.
Iranian military officials also claimed U.S. air strikes targeted civilian areas in Bandar Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island, while Iranian air defense systems were activated over western Tehran.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s defense ministry said its air defense systems were intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, adding that sounds heard across the country were linked to the ongoing operations.
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