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A fragile truce survived a dramatic US Iran Strait of Hormuz exchange of fire late Thursday, with President Donald Trump insisting the ceasefire remains intact despite both sides unleashing attacks.
Confusion swirled immediately over who pulled the trigger first. Iran’s top military command claimed the US targeted an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel near the strait while launching aerial strikes on coastal areas.
Washington told a different story. US officials said their forces simply responded to unprovoked Iranian assaults on Navy guided-missile destroyers. The Pentagon labeled its response self-defense strikes.
Trump addressed the clash directly on Truth Social. He said Iran trifled with us today. He described destroying multiple small boats that dropped ever so beautifully down to the ocean. Then a warning followed. Sign the deal fast or the next response will be a lot harder and a lot more violent.
Iranian state media initially reported explosions in the strait as an exchange of fire with the enemy. A military statement soon followed accusing the US of violating the Ceasefire with aerial attacks on Bandar Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island. Iran claimed it inflicted significant damage on American warships in retaliation.
What the US Iran Strait of Hormuz exchange of fire means for a fragile deal
The clash comes at a delicate moment. Just a day earlier Iran’s foreign ministry admitted it was studying a US proposal to end the war. Pakistani mediators are working to convert the temporary ceasefire into a permanent end to hostilities.
A 14-point memorandum of understanding is reportedly on the table. It could set a framework for deeper nuclear talks. But a senior member of Iran’s parliament dismissed the document as a wish list. Ebrahim Rezaei warned that Iran has its finger on the trigger and will deliver a harsh and regret-inducing response if the US does not surrender and grant necessary conditions.
Early Friday brought another sign of the ceasefire’s fragility. The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence said its air defenses were actively engaging a missile and drone attack from Iran. Explosions were also heard in Tehran according to local reports.
US Central Command described the Iranian actions as unprovoked. A statement detailed how Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as American destroyers transited through the strait. Centcom said it eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces.
A source confirmed there was no Israeli involvement in the latest exchange whatsoever. The flare-up stands as a stark reminder of how quickly the situation can unravel despite Trump’s repeated claims that the war will be over quickly.
Nuclear ambitions remain the core sticking point. Trump has stated multiple times that Iran agreed to never have a nuclear weapon among other things. Tehran has never confirmed this claim publicly.
