While Washington and Tehran were still discussing a possible temporary agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and suspend fighting, clashes resumed on Thursday, May 7 in one of the world’s most sensitive maritime areas.
The United States claims that three of their ships were targeted by missiles, drones, and small Iranian boats during their passage through the strait. A few hours later, the American military announced strikes on several Iranian military installations.
According to the US Central Command, no American ships were hit. Washington says they intercepted all attacks before targeting Iranian military sites responsible for attacks on US forces, including missile and drone launch sites, command centers, as well as intelligence and surveillance facilities.
Donald Trump confirmed the operation in a lengthy post on Truth Social. The US president says the three American ships successfully navigated the strait “despite Iranian fire” and claims that American forces inflicted “significant damage” on the attackers. “They were completely destroyed with many small boats,” he wrote, also stating that Iranian missiles were “easily shot down” and drones were “burned in flight.”
Trump also referred to Iranian leaders as “crazy” and asserted that they would use nuclear weapons “without hesitation” if given the opportunity. “We will strike them much harder and much more violently in the future if they do not sign their agreement, and QUICKLY!”
A possible new 30-day ceasefire
Despite the escalating tensions, Donald Trump maintains that the ceasefire with Iran remains in effect. “They toyed with us today. We swept them aside,” he later told reporters.
On the Iranian side, authorities accuse Washington of violating the ceasefire first. The Iranian military claims that the US carried out strikes on several southern sites, including around Bandar Abbas and the island of Qeshm, in the heart of the Strait of Hormuz.
Additionally, the UAE’s air defense was engaged in action on Friday morning against drones and missiles fired from Iran, according to the Defense Ministry. “The defense systems of the UAE are engaging in combat against missile and drone attacks from Iran,” the UAE ministry wrote in a statement. “The Defense Ministry confirms that the sounds heard in various parts of the country are due to the interception by the UAE’s air defense systems of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.”
These military exchanges come as indirect discussions continued between Washington and Tehran in an attempt to avoid a full resumption of conflict. According to several Iranian officials cited by the New York Times, the two sides were still discussing a provisional agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic and suspend hostilities for thirty days.
However, the main sticking point remains Iran’s nuclear program. The US is demanding a permanent halt to uranium enrichment and the transfer of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
