US Fires on Iranian Targets as Trump Demands Deal From Tehran
(Bloomberg) -- The US struck military targets in Iran after the country fired on three Navy destroyers sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, an escalation that threatened to fracture a fragile ceasefire and reignite hostilities even as the two sides say they’re discussing an end to the war.
Iran’s assault on three US warships involved “multiple missiles, drones and small boats,” according to a US Central Command statement on Thursday, which added that “no US assets were struck.”
American forces responded by eliminating “inbound threats” and targeting Iranian missile and drone launch sites, command and control locations and intelligence facilities that were deemed “responsible for attacking US forces,” it said.
The latest clash heightens tensions in the region as the US attempts to exit a war now in its third month. The Trump administration has been waiting for Iran to respond to its proposal to reopen the strait and end the conflict, which has killed thousands of people and triggered a global energy crisis.
“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!” President Donald Trump said in a social media post.
Iran’s leaders haven’t indicated whether they will accept the terms of the offer, though they have shown little sign of yielding on their nuclear program or accepting a moratorium on enriching uranium — both top US demands.
Trump later told reporters the ceasefire was still in effect despite the back-and-forth, downplaying Iran’s actions while warning of consequences if an agreement wasn’t struck.
“They trifled with us today. We blew them away,” Trump said in a brief appearance in Washington at the reflecting pool on the National Mall. “I’ll let you know when there’s no ceasefire,” he added. “You’re not going to have to know, you’ll just have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran.”
Asian stocks pulled back from a record high as the escalating tensions revived concerns over energy supplies. Oil jumped, with Brent climbing as much as 2.5% toward $103 a barrel, snapping a three-day drop.
Even so, the president told reporters in Washington late Thursday that a deal was still possible.
In a bid to ease the crisis, the US president had announced “Project Freedom,” an initiative to help ships transit the strait, before abruptly suspending it. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted restrictions on the US military’s ability to use regional bases, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, a move that could allow the Trump administration to restart the effort to ease traffic through the strait.
A Central Command official referred questions about the reporting on the bases to the Saudi and Kuwaiti governments. Asked whether Project Freedom would be restarted, the official declined to speculate. The Kuwaiti and Saudi embassies did not respond to requests for comment.
Here’s more related to the war:
- United Arab Emirates air defenses responded to missile and drone attacks from Iran, the UAE Ministry of Defense said in a post on X.
- Washington relayed a one-page memo to the Islamic Republic that could reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and lift the US blockade, according to the person familiar with the matter. That would set the stage for a month of talks aimed at securing a final agreement to bring the 10-week conflict to a close.
- Iran is expected to send a response via Pakistan, acting as a mediator, in the next two days, a person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive information.
- Iran’s state-affiliated news agency ISNA said reports on elements of the proposal amount to “media speculation and atmosphere-building,” adding that nuclear enrichment is not part of the current discussions.
- Gasoline prices breached $4.50 a gallon for the first time since July 2022, according to the American Automobile Association. This adds pressure on Trump, six months from midterm elections in which energy costs will be a central focus.
- Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping May 14-15 in Beijing. The summit already has been rescheduled once because of the war. There is unease among Chinese officials about holding the high-stakes meeting before the war in Iran is resolved, people familiar with the matter said.
- Trump is due to deliver remarks Friday, the White House said, without providing details about the topic.
- Israel said it killed a Hezbollah commander in a southern suburb of Beirut, its first strike on the city since a ceasefire began in Lebanon last month.
(Updates with bullet points on UAE air defenses, Trump comments.)
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