Trump Says US-Iran Ceasefire Still Holds After Strait of Hormuz Clash

US President Donald Trump has insisted that a ceasefire with Iran remains in effect, even after a military confrontation between American naval destroyers and Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides accusing the other of striking first.

According to the US, Iran launched missiles, drones, and small boats against three American warships in what it described as an “unprovoked attack.” Trump responded sharply, saying Iran “trifled with us today.”

Iran’s top military command told a different story, claiming that the US had targeted an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel near the Strait of Hormuz and carried out aerial strikes on several coastal areas.

The incident unfolded just one day after Iran’s foreign ministry signalled it was reviewing a US proposal to end the ongoing war, underscoring just how unstable the ceasefire remains.

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Adding to the tension, the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence announced early Friday that its air defences were actively intercepting a missile and drone attack launched from Iran.

Iranian state media initially reported what it described as an “exchange of fire” with the “enemy” in the strait, while separate local reports indicated that explosions were heard in Tehran.

Iran’s military command subsequently confirmed that US aerial strikes had hit coastal areas including Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island, and said it responded by attacking US military vessels, claiming to have inflicted “significant damage” and accusing Washington of violating the ceasefire.

US Central Command (Centcom), however, maintained that the Iranian assault was entirely unprovoked, stating that Iranian forces fired “multiple missiles, drones and small boats” at American destroyers passing through the strait.

Centcom added that it had “eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces, including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes.”

“Centcom does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces,” the statement read.

On Truth Social, Trump boasted that the US had destroyed several small Iranian boats and warned Tehran to move quickly on a peace agreement: “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!”

An Israeli source confirmed to the BBC that there was “no Israeli involvement” in the exchange.

The fresh hostilities come despite Trump’s recent assertions that the conflict with Iran would be “over quickly.”

US outlet Axios has reported that the White House believes it may be close to finalising a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Tehran, which could lay the groundwork for more comprehensive nuclear negotiations.

Iran’s foreign ministry had said on Wednesday that the latest US proposal was under review and that Tehran would relay its position to Pakistani mediators.

Pakistan’s foreign minister, for his part, described his country’s efforts as aimed at converting the ceasefire into a permanent end to the war.

However, the mood within Iran’s parliament is far less conciliatory.

A senior lawmaker, Ebrahim Rezaei, dismissed the 14-point framework as a “wish list” and warned that Iran “has its finger on the trigger,” threatening a “harsh and regret-inducing response” if the US did not meet Iran’s conditions.

Both governments have continued to issue escalatory warnings. In a Truth Social post on May 6th, Trump cautioned that if Iran refused a deal, “the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”

He had previously described Operation Epic Fury, the initial US-Israeli military campaign against Iran as finished, contingent on Iran honouring what had been agreed.

Trump also reiterated his claim that Iran had agreed to permanently abandon its nuclear weapons programme, though Tehran has yet to confirm this.

Iran’s nuclear ambitions remain one of the most contentious issues standing between the two sides.