Iran accused the United States early on Friday of violating the ceasefire by targetting Iranian vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and striking civilian areas in southern Iran.
A spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, said the US targetted an Iranian oil tanker moving from Iranian coastal waters near Jask toward the Strait of Hormuz, as well as another Iranian vessel near the UAE’s Fujairah port.
US president Donald Trump told ABC News that the ceasefire with Iran remains in effect after both sides traded attacks on Thursday, calling US strikes a ‘love tap’. Trump suggested in another media interview that an agreement with Iran may be imminent. “It might not happen, but it could happen any day”.
Trump said Tehran ‘trifled’ with the US by conducting the strikes on Thursday and said if the ceasefire were to end, there would be ‘one big glow’ coming out of Iran.
The spokesman also accused the US of carrying out airstrikes on civilian areas in Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island in southern Iran with the cooperation of “some regional countries”.
He said Iranian armed forces responded immediately by attacking US military vessels east of the Strait of Hormuz and south of Chabahar port, claiming the strikes caused “significant damage”.
The statement was issued shortly after sustained air defence fire was heard in western Tehran following two loud blasts, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
IRNA reported that anti-aircraft fire continued for several minutes in areas near Tehran’s District 22 and Ahmadabad Mostofi in the western part of the capital.
The US military confirmed it carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas, a Fox News reporter said on Thursday.
“A senior US official tells me that it was a US military strike on Iran’s Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas moments ago but added this is not a restarting of the war or end to the ceasefire,” Jennifer Griffin said on US social media company X’s platform.
The official also confirmed to Fox News that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had abruptly halted permission for the US to use their bases and airspace for “Project Freedom,” a decision that the official said has since been reversed.
Fox News said the US military also just struck Iran’s Bandar Kargan naval checkpoint in Minab.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces intercepted “unprovoked” Iranian attacks and responded with “self-defence strikes” as US warships transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman on Thursday.
No US assets were struck as three US Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz, it said.
“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. – AA
