US military says it intercepted Iranian attacks on 3 Navy ships in Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. military announced that it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. They also targeted Iranian military sites that were involved in attacking American forces. This incident shows how fragile the ceasefire between the two countries is, which has been in place for about a month. U.S. Central Command posted on social media that American forces responded to “unprovoked Iranian attacks” with defensive strikes. They confirmed that no ships were damaged and emphasized they do not want an escalation but are ready to protect U.S. personnel. President Donald Trump stated in Washington that the ceasefire is still intact despite the recent violence. He remarked, “They trifled with us today. We blew them away.” Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that the armed forces exchanged fire with “the enemy” on Qeshm Island in the strait. Qeshm Island is the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, home to about 150,000 residents, and it has a water desalination plant. Iranian media also reported loud sounds and defensive gunfire in western Tehran. Additionally, explosions were heard in southern Iran near Bandar Abbas, according to semi-official news agencies Fars and Tasnim, though the source of the blasts was not specified. Earlier in the day, a shipping data company revealed that Iran has established a government agency to review and tax ships passing through the vital Strait of Hormuz. This move to formalize control over the strait raises new concerns for international shipping, as many commercial vessels are stuck in the Persian Gulf and cannot reach the open sea. Still, there is hope that the ongoing two-month conflict may soon come to an end, which has lifted spirits in international markets.