Illustrative image. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan K. Serpico/Released)
Iran announced early on May 8 that it had retaliated after the United States violated the ceasefire by targeting two ships at the Strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian areas.
The U..S. targeted “an Iranian oil tanker traveling from Iran’s coastal waters near Jask toward the Strait of Hormuz, as well as another vessel entering the Strait of Hormuz near the Emirati port of Fujairah,” a spokesperson for the Islamic Republic Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a statement carried by state media.
“At the same time, with the cooperation of some regional countries, they carried out air attacks on civilian areas along the coasts of Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island,” he added.
Later, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said that it had attacked several warships of the U.S. Navy in what it described as a “very large-scale and precise combined operation.”
Various types of anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, along with kamikaze drones equipped with high-explosive warheads, were used in the operation, according to the guards.
“Intelligence monitoring indicates significant damage to the American enemy, and three invading enemy warships quickly fled the Strait of Hormuz area,” the IRGC Navy said in a statement.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) acknowledged the attack, saying in a statement that it responded with “self-defense strikes”.
The command said that the Iranian attack targeted three guided-missile destroyers, the USS Truxtun, the USS Rafael Peralta, and the USS Mason, as they transited the international sea passage. It claimed that no U.S. assets were struck during the attack.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes,” it added.
The exchange of fire came after President Donald Trump announced on May 6 that the U.S. will be pausing the operation it launched earlier in the week to assist vessels stuck in the Strait of Hormuz due to progress made in talks toward a permanent ceasefire with Iran.
The strategic waterway — a choke point for around 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas — has been very much under Iranian control since the start of the American-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic.
The U.S. operation, codenamed “Project Freedom,” triggered a fierce response from the Islamic Republic, which opened fire at American warships, targeted several commercial vessels, and renewed strikes on the United Arab Emirates.
Even right after Trump’s announcement, Iran shot down an American combat drone over Qeshm Island, and the U.S. attacked an Iranian-flagged unladen oil tanker.
Recent reports indicate that the U.S. is nearing a one-page memorandum of understanding with Iran to end the war and lay out a framework for talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. However, recent developments on the ground suggest that war could resume soon.
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