Trump says US-Iran ceasefire still in place after exchange of fire in Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump says a ceasefire is still in place after both sides exchanged fire late on Thursday night in the Strait of Hormuz. It was unclear who fired first. Trump said Iran "trifled with us today".

Iran's top military command alleged the US had targeted an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel approaching the Strait of Hormuz and carried out "aerial attacks" on several coastal areas. The US said it responded to Iranian attacks on US Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Strait with "self-defence strikes". Iranian state media initially reported "explosions" in the Strait of Hormuz, describing them as an "exchange of fire" with the "enemy". Local media reported explosions were heard in Tehran. The US Central Command (Centcom) described the Iranian attacks as "unprovoked", saying Iranian forces launched "multiple missiles, drones and small boats" as US Navy guided-missile destroyers transited through the strait. Centcom said it had "eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces, including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes."

On Truth Social, Trump said that the US had destroyed multiple small boats that "dropped ever so beautifully down to the Ocean, very much like a butterfly dropping to its grave!" "Great damage" was "done to the Iranian attackers," he continued. Trump also reiterated a warning over the peace deal: "Just like we knocked them out again today, we'll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don't get their Deal signed, FAST!" An Israeli source told the BBC there was "no Israeli involvement" in the latest attacks. On Wednesday, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said the latest US proposal was being considered and that Tehran would share its views with Pakistani mediators.