US and Iran Exchange Fire in Strait of Hormuz

Three US Navy destroyers came under attack from missiles, drones and small boats in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the US military said. All incoming threats were intercepted with no damage to the American vessels. In response, the United States struck Iranian military facilities including launch sites and command centers.

President Trump stated that the ceasefire between the US and Iran remains in place despite the exchange. He described Iranian leaders as "lunatics" and warned that failure to sign a deal quickly would bring far more violent American action in the future.

Trump posted on Truth Social that the destroyers transited successfully, with Iranian missiles and drones destroyed in the air or at sea. Iran portrayed the incident as an "exchange of fire" after the US allegedly targeted vessels near the strait, including an oil tanker.

Iranian state media claimed its forces inflicted significant damage on American ships, a assertion contradicted by US statements. The clashes occurred as both sides were reviewing a one-page US plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pause hostilities for 30 days while pursuing a broader agreement.

The US military announced it had eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for the assault. Central Command described the Iranian actions as unprovoked. Iranian officials countered that the US had violated the ceasefire first by striking two ships and civilian areas along the coast.

Explosions were reported on Qeshm Island in the strait, with Iranian state television confirming the blasts during the exchange. Local media later described the situation on nearby islands and coastal cities as back to normal. No casualties were reported from either side in the immediate aftermath.

“Drones came, and were incinerated while in the air. They dropped ever so beautifully down to the Ocean, very much like a butterfly dropping to its grave!”

The three destroyers — identified in one report as the Truxtun, Peralta and Mason — will rejoin what Trump called a naval blockade described as a "wall of steel." The incident took place on the 70th day of the US-Israel war on Iran, according to one briefing.

Three senior Iranian officials told The New York Times that Tehran and Washington are discussing a plan under which both sides would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end hostilities for 30 days. The proposal would include Iran freezing nuclear enrichment while leaving the nuclear program issue unresolved in the longer term.

US officials expect a response from Iran within two days. Trump, when asked whether the engagement ended the nominal ceasefire, said it does not and urged both sides to sign a lasting agreement fast. Negotiations have involved Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who had been traveling to Pakistan for talks.

A planned late-April visit was canceled after Trump said the US held all the cards. The flare-up further endangers a ceasefire that Trump extended indefinitely on April 21. Some 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf amid the strait’s closure.

Oil prices rose following news of the exchange.

“The ceasefire is going. It's in effect.”

Trump also stated the United States has ample oil supplies and faces no energy crisis. A short-lived exercise known as Project Freedom had earlier exposed limits on US maneuvering in the Persian Gulf, one report noted.