Iran’s central military command has accused the United States of violating a fragile ceasefire by attacking vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a retaliatory strike by Iranian forces against American military ships.
In a statement carried by Iranian state television, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said U.S. forces targeted an Iranian oil tanker moving from coastal waters near Jask toward the Strait of Hormuz. It also accused Washington of striking another vessel entering the waterway near the Emirati port of Fujairah. Iran further alleged that the U.S., with support from some regional countries, carried out additional attacks in southern coastal areas, including around Bandar Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island.
Iran said its forces “immediately” responded by attacking American military vessels. The statement framed the action as retaliation for what Tehran described as a direct breach of the ceasefire agreement. However, U.S. officials offered a sharply different account, saying American forces acted after Iranian missiles, drones and small boats targeted U.S. naval vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to U.S. Central Command, three American destroyers were attacked while transiting the strategic waterway, but none was hit. CENTCOM said U.S. forces responded by striking Iranian military targets, including missile and drone launch sites, command centers and surveillance infrastructure. Washington said the strikes were defensive and insisted it did not seek broader escalation.
The exchange has placed renewed pressure on a ceasefire that was already under strain after weeks of maritime confrontation and competing claims of attacks near the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, and any sustained fighting there risks disrupting energy markets and drawing in regional states. The latest incident also comes amid unresolved diplomatic efforts to end the wider U.S.-Iran conflict. Reports said Washington was awaiting Tehran’s response to an interim proposal aimed at reducing hostilities, though major issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and control of shipping through Hormuz, remained unresolved.
Both sides are now accusing each other of undermining the ceasefire. Iran says the U.S. initiated the latest violence by targeting commercial vessels and civilian areas. The U.S. says Iran launched an unprovoked attack on its warships. With each side presenting conflicting accounts, the risk of miscalculation in the Gulf remains dangerously high.
