Iranian Attackers ‘Destroyed’ After Firing on U.S. Destroyers — Ports Struck; Ceasefire Holding
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran’s attack forces had been “completely destroyed” after Tehran fired missiles, drones and fast attack boats at three US Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting US Central Command to carry out retaliatory “self-defense strikes” on Iranian military targets and port areas as the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was once again undermined. under severe strain.
US Central Command said its forces intercepted what it described as “unprovoked Iranian attacks” USS Truxtun, USS Rafael PeraltaAnd USS Mason transited the Strait of Hormuz towards the Gulf of Oman.
“Iranian forces launched several missiles, drones and small boats” at the destroyers, CENTCOM said, adding that no US assets were hit.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces then “eliminated incoming 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 US official, reported that the retaliatory strikes targeted the Iranian port of Qeshm and Bandar Abbas before also hitting the Bandar Kargan naval checkpoint in Minab.
Trump later expanded on the confrontation in a Truth Social article, saying the destroyers managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz “under fire” before joining the U.S. naval blockade around the strategic waterway.
“Three world-class American destroyers just successfully exited the Strait of Hormuz under fire,” Trump wrote.
“No damage was caused to the three destroyers, but great damage was caused to the Iranian attackers.”
Trump said the Iranian attackers “were completely destroyed,” along with “many small boats” that Tehran increasingly relied on after dismantling 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 ships “were incinerated while in the air.”
“Our three destroyers, with their wonderful crews, will now join our naval blockade, which is truly a ‘wall of steel,’” he wrote.
Trump also warned Tehran that if it did not quickly agree to the broader framework agreement currently under discussion, the United States would respond with far harsher military force in the future.
“A normal country would have allowed these destroyers to pass through, but Iran is not a normal country,” Trump wrote, calling Tehran’s leaders “MOUNTICS” who would “use” a nuclear weapon “without a doubt” if given the chance.
“But they will never get that opportunity, and just as we took them out again today, we will take them down 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 shot” while insisting that the ceasefire remains intact.
“No, no, the ceasefire is in effect. It’s in effect,” Trump responded when asked if the latest firefight meant the truce had failed.
The latest confrontation came as the Trump administration awaits Tehran’s response to its latest proposed framework agreement after Trump earlier this week suspended “Project Freedom” — the U.S.-backed defensive maritime operation aimed at helping stranded commercial ships and sailors safely transit the Strait of Hormuz — citing what he described as progress toward a broader “Complete and Final Agreement.”
Iranian state media, meanwhile, has offered conflicting accounts of the strikes near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, at times blaming the UAE before later acknowledging what Fars News described as “exchanges of fire” between Iranian forces and “the enemy.”
The Tasnim news agency claimed that Iranian naval forces attacked the US destroyers with “missiles and suicide drones”, while Iran’s central headquarters in Khatam al-Anbiya accused the US of violating the ceasefire and vowed to respond “without any hesitation”.
Iran’s Mehr news agency also reported that 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.
