Washington: US President Donald Trump on May 8 confirmed that American and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming three US Navy destroyers successfully crossed the strategic waterway after coming under attack from Iranian forces.
The comments came during rising tensions between Washington and Tehran despite an existing ceasefire between the two sides.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the American naval vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz “very successfully” even after being targeted.
“Three World Class American Destroyers just transited, very successfully, out of the Strait of Hormuz, under fire. There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers,” he wrote.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping routes and carries a large share of international oil supplies. Any military confrontation in the region triggers concerns across international markets and security circles.
Iran claims attack on US Naval vessels
Before Trump’s statement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Command had claimed responsibility for targeting American naval vessels after the US Navy fired on an Iranian oil tanker near Jask port in southern Iran.
In a series of posts on X, the IRGC Navy said it launched a coordinated attack involving anti-ship ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and suicide drones against American destroyers operating in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian force claimed the operation caused “significant damage” to US naval assets and alleged that American ships withdrew from the area.
“Intelligence surveillance indicates significant damage to the American enemy, and three enemy invading ships quickly fled the Strait of Hormuz area,” the command said in one of the posts.
The claims from Tehran contradicted Trump’s version of events, with the US president insisting that the American vessels were unharmed and that Iranian forces suffered the damage.
US-Iran clash followed tanker incident
The latest confrontation followed an incident earlier this week involving an Iranian-flagged oil tanker identified as M/T Hasna in the Gulf of Oman.
According to US officials, American naval forces fired on the tanker as part of an ongoing blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic after the vessel allegedly ignored instructions from US forces operating in the region.
The tanker incident raised tensions in Gulf waters, especially near the Strait of Hormuz, where both American and Iranian military forces maintain a strong presence.
Trump, in his Truth Social post, claimed the Iranian attack failed completely and said missiles and drones launched toward the US destroyers were intercepted before they could hit their targets.
“Missiles were shot at our Destroyers, and were easily knocked down. Likewise, drones came and were incinerated while in the air. They dropped ever so beautifully down to the Ocean, very much like a butterfly dropping to its grave,” he wrote.
The US president also claimed that Iran lost multiple naval boats during the confrontation.
Trump warns Iran over future escalation
Trump used the incident to issue another warning to Tehran, saying stronger military action could follow if Iran failed to agree to a deal.
He described Iran’s leadership in harsh terms and accused Tehran of posing a nuclear threat.
“A normal Country would have allowed these Destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a normal Country. They are led by lunatics, and if they had the chance to use a Nuclear Weapon, they would do it, without question — But they’ll never have that opportunity, and 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!” Trump wrote.
He also said the three American destroyers of US naval blockade in the region would return to operations.
“Our three Destroyers, with their wonderful Crews, will now rejoin our Naval Blockade, which is truly a ‘Wall of Steel’,” the post added.
The latest exchange has once again pushed the Strait of Hormuz to the centre of attention, with both Washington and Tehran offering different accounts of what happened during the confrontation at sea.
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