Summary of US-Iran Clash Resumes, US Claims No Desire for Escalation

Tehran/Washington (ANTARA) - Iran’s main military command, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, stated that the United States military attacked two Iranian ships near the Strait of Hormuz and simultaneously launched airstrikes on several civilian areas in southern Iran in cooperation with several regional countries. The attack by the “aggressive and terrorist” US troops violated the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US, said the headquarters’ spokesperson, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, as quoted by Iranian media on Thursday (7/5) evening local time. One of the targeted ships was an oil tanker sailing from Iran’s territorial waters near Jask towards the Strait of Hormuz, while the other was entering that waterway near Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Zolfaghari said, adding that the civilian areas targeted by the attacks included Bandar-e Khamir and Sirik, both in Hormozgan Province. He recounted that Iran’s armed forces immediately carried out a counterattack by striking US military ships east of the Strait of Hormuz and south of Chabahar Port, Iran, causing significant damage. Zolfaghari warned that Iran would deliver a destructive response to any aggression without hesitation. The Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated on Friday (8/5) morning that Iranian forces carried out a “large-scale and precise combined operation” using ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, and explosive drones targeting US destroyers. They added that intelligence assessments showed “significant damage” to the US ships, forcing three destroyers to withdraw from the Strait of Hormuz area. Separately, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) in a statement said US forces successfully intercepted an “unwarranted Iranian attack” and responded with defensive strikes as their naval ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM added that it “does not want escalation, but remains in position and ready to protect American forces.” US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that there was no damage to the three world-class US destroyers that had just crossed the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran suffered heavy losses and threatened that subsequent attacks would be “much harder and much more intense.” Meanwhile, Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin quoted a senior US official saying the US military conducted strikes on Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas in Iran, but added that the action was not a sign of resuming war or ending the ceasefire. Previously, Trump announced that Project Freedom, the US military operation to escort commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, would be suspended to see if a peace agreement could be reached with Tehran. Trump said the decision was taken based on requests from Pakistan and several other countries, as well as “significant progress … that has been made towards a complete and final agreement with Iranian representatives.” The project ran for less than 48 hours before being suspended.