President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iranian attacking forces were “completely destroyed” after Tehran fired missiles, drones, and fast attack boats at three U.S. Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting U.S. Central Command to carry out retaliatory “self-defense strikes” on Iranian military targets and port areas as the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran again came under strain.
U.S. Central Command said its forces intercepted what it described as “unprovoked Iranian attacks” as the USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason transited the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman.
“Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats” at the destroyers, CENTCOM said, adding that no U.S. assets were struck.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces then “eliminated inbound threats” before striking Iranian military sites it said were responsible for the attack, including missile and drone launch positions, command-and-control facilities, and intelligence and surveillance nodes.
“CENTCOM does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces,” the statement added.
Fox News, citing a senior U.S. official, reported that the retaliatory strikes targeted Iran’s Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas before later also hitting the Bandar Kargan naval checkpoint in Minab.
Trump later elaborated on the confrontation in a Truth Social post, saying the destroyers successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz “under fire” before rejoining the U.S. naval blockade around the strategic waterway.
“Three World Class American Destroyers just transited, very successfully, out of the Strait of Hormuz, under fire,” Trump wrote.
“There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers.”
Trump said the Iranian attackers “were completely destroyed,” along with “numerous small boats” that he said Tehran has increasingly relied upon following the dismantling of its traditional navy.
“These boats went to the bottom of the Sea, quickly and efficiently,” Trump added.
Trump said missiles fired at the destroyers “were easily knocked down,” while drones targeting the vessels “were incinerated while in the air.”
“Our three Destroyers, with their wonderful Crews, will now rejoin our Naval Blockade, which is truly a ‘Wall of Steel,’” he wrote.
Trump also warned Tehran that if it does not quickly agree to the broader framework deal now under discussion, the United States would respond with far more severe military force in the future.
“A normal Country would have allowed these Destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a normal Country,” Trump wrote, blasting Tehran’s leadership as “LUNATICS,” who “would” use a nuclear weapon “without question” if given the opportunity.
“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!” Trump warned.
Earlier Thursday evening, Trump downplayed the retaliatory strikes in remarks to ABC News, describing them as “just a love tap” while insisting the ceasefire remains intact.
“No, no, the ceasefire is going. It’s in effect,” Trump said when asked whether the latest exchange of fire meant the truce had collapsed.
The latest confrontation came as the Trump administration awaits Tehran’s response to its latest proposed framework agreement after Trump earlier this week paused “Project Freedom” — the U.S.-backed defensive maritime operation aimed at helping commercial vessels and stranded seafarers safely transit the Strait of Hormuz — citing what he described as progress toward a broader “Complete and Final Agreement.”
Iranian state media, meanwhile, offered conflicting accounts of the strikes near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, at times blaming the United Arab Emirates before later acknowledging what Fars News described as “exchanges of fire” between Iranian forces and “the enemy.”
Tasnim News Agency claimed Iranian naval forces attacked the American destroyers with “missiles and suicide drones,” while Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters accused the United States of violating the ceasefire and vowed to respond “without any hesitation.”
Iran’s Mehr News Agency also reported air defenses were activated near Tehran later Thursday night as explosions continued to be reported near Bandar Abbas and other areas along the Strait of Hormuz.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.