Trump: Retaliatory Strikes 'Love Tap'; Iran Says Truce Broken

President Donald Trump said Thursday that retaliatory strikes by American forces against Iran were just a "love tap" and that the ceasefire in effect since April 7 remains intact.

The U.S. military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran earlier Thursday, targeting sites it said were behind attacks on three Navy warships in what it called unprovoked hostilities by Tehran.

"U.S. forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes as U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman," U.S. Central Command wrote on X.

"Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason transited the international sea passage. No U.S. assets were struck."

ABC News senior political correspondent Rachel Scott wrote on X that Trump told her during a phone call the retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets were just a "love tap."

 

Scott wrote that when she asked whether the strikes meant the ceasefire was over, Trump replied: "No, no, the ceasefire is going. It's in effect."

In a Truth Social post later Thursday, Trump said the three destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz "very successfully" while under fire and claimed the Iranian attackers were "completely destroyed."

Iran accused the U.S. on Thursday of violating the ceasefire by targeting two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian areas.

A spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a statement reported by state media that the U.S. targeted "an Iranian oil tanker traveling from Iran's coastal waters near Jask toward the Strait of Hormuz," as well as another vessel entering the strait near the Emirati port of Fujairah.

"At the same time, with the cooperation of some regional countries, they carried out air attacks on civilian areas along the coasts of Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island."

CENTCOM said it eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces, including missile and drone launch sites, command-and-control locations, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance nodes.

"CENTCOM does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces," CENTCOM said.

Trump also warned in his Truth Social post that if Iran "doesn't get their Deal signed, FAST," the U.S. would respond "a lot harder, and a lot more violently" in the future.

Trump has been pushing Iran to accept a U.S.-backed peace proposal.

"They are led by LUNATICS, and if they had the chance to use a Nuclear Weapon, they would do it, without question," Trump wrote. "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!"