Fresh tensions erupted between the United States and Iran after both countries exchanged military strikes despite claims by US President Donald Trump that a ceasefire between the two sides remained intact.
The latest confrontation has heightened fears that the fragile truce reached on April 8 could collapse, following renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.
Trump, while speaking in Washington on Thursday, insisted the ceasefire was still in force, although he acknowledged that Iranian forces had launched attacks on American naval assets.
“Yeah, it is. They trifled with us today. We blew them away,” Trump said. “They trifled. I call that a trifle.”
The US Central Command stated that Iranian forces launched missiles, drones and small boats at three American destroyers operating in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to CENTCOM, no US vessel was hit, as American forces intercepted the incoming threats before carrying out retaliatory strikes against Iranian military positions allegedly linked to the attack.
The command stressed that Washington was not seeking further escalation but remained prepared to defend its personnel and interests in the region.
Iran, however, accused the United States of provoking the latest clash by targeting an oil tanker and another vessel, insisting that its military merely responded to American aggression.
The renewed hostilities come after weeks of intense fighting involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which had sparked retaliatory attacks across parts of the Middle East and disrupted commercial activities in the Gulf region.
The United Arab Emirates on Friday confirmed that its air defence systems were intercepting missile and drone attacks launched from Iran.
Despite the violence, Trump maintained that diplomatic efforts were ongoing and warned Tehran against delaying negotiations over its nuclear programme.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president threatened harsher military action if Iran failed to reach an agreement quickly.
“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!” he wrote.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran would communicate its official position to mediator Pakistan after internal consultations were concluded.
Before the latest exchange of fire, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had expressed optimism that the ceasefire could evolve into a lasting peace arrangement.
Meanwhile, concerns are mounting across the wider Middle East, particularly in Lebanon, where tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have also intensified.
A US State Department official confirmed that fresh talks involving Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to hold on May 14 and 15, marking another attempt to stabilise the region after months of conflict.
The situation has also affected global maritime operations, with the International Maritime Organization revealing that about 1,500 ships and 20,000 crew members remain stranded in the Gulf region due to the crisis.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategic oil transit routes, and analysts fear that prolonged instability could trigger major disruptions in global energy supply.