Trump says ceasefire still in effect as Iran calls Strait of Hormuz attack “point of no return”

Iranian officials say the US has “crossed the point of no return,” blasting US strikes on ports in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday as a violation of a ceasefire that President Trump insists is still in effect.

In a statement released on Thursday night, the head of Iran’s military, Khatam Al-Anbiya headquarters, said that the United States was targeting an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel near the river, prompting the Iranian military to fire back at American warships.

In a “simultaneous attack” the US launched airstrikes “targeting civilian areas” in cooperation with regional allies in the ports of Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

US officials, including President Trump, said Iran fired first at three US Navy destroyers passing through the shipping lane on Thursday, prompting “defensive strikes” against military assets in Iranian ports.

Iran said its attack on the ships caused “massive and massive damage,” although President Trump said no one was injured in the firefight.

Brigadier General Ebrahim Zulfuqari, a spokesman for the Al-Anbiya headquarters, said in a social media post on Thursday that the US had “crossed the point of no return, and the response will be accompanied by crimes and so on.”

The United Arab Emirates reported early Friday morning local time that its air defense systems had been activated in response to drones and missiles launched by Iran.

The UAE Ministry of Defense said in a social media post that “the sounds heard in different parts of the country are the result of the UAE’s air defense systems intercepting missiles, cruise missiles and drones.”

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority of the UAE warned citizens to “stay in a safe place and follow warnings and updates on official websites.”

President Trump told reporters Thursday that a deal with Iran “may not happen, but it could happen any day.”

“I believe they want a deal more than I do,” he said during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where his administration installing blue filament as part of a renovation project.

Mr. Trump also talked about Iran’s attack on three US Navy destroyers, which led to the attack on the United States.

“They played with us today, we blew them up,” he said. “They shouldn’t have done that today.”

Mr. Trump reiterated that the ceasefire is not over, despite negotiations on Tuesday.

“If there is no ceasefire, you won’t have to know. You will have to look at the big light coming out of Iran,” he said.

President Trump has confirmed that three US destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz after escaping an Iranian attack – and warned Iran that it needs to make a deal with the US immediately.

Mr. Trump said in a tweet that U.S. ships were unharmed while Iran suffered “extreme damage,” describing the military’s efforts to divert Iranian boats, missiles and drones in a clear manner.

“They fell very well into the Ocean, as well as a butterfly falls into its grave!” he said of the US response to the drone attack.

“A normal country would have let these Destroyers pass, but Iran is not a normal country. They are led by LUNATICS, and if they have the opportunity to use a Nuclear Weapon, they will, without a doubt,” the president wrote.

He also warned that “we will take them out very hard, and even more violently, in the future, if they do not sign their Deal, FAST!” Mr. Trump wants a long-term peace deal with Iran, but the status of the talks is unclear.

The US military “responded with defensive strikes” against Iranian targets after three Navy destroyers were attacked by missiles and a drone, but were not hit, US Central Command said on Thursday.

The destroyers USS Truxtun, USS Mason and USS Rafael Peralta were attacked by missiles, drones and small boats, CENTCOM said. The US military responded by targeting Iranian facilities, including drone and missile launch sites.

Three US Navy destroyers passing through the Strait of Hormuz were attacked again on Thursday, enduring what US officials described as a more brutal and aggressive attack by Iran than the violence that had hit the warships in the past few days.

The destroyers came under heavy Iranian attack as Iranian speedboats got so close that U.S. warships opened fire to intercept them, U.S. officials told CBS News on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The Iranian military also launched drones and missiles during the conflict, officials said.

Within hours, American warships and supporting aircraft mounted the defense.

Despite the intensity of the attack, no American ships were hit.

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President Trump told ABC News on Thursday that the US-Iran moratorium remains in effect despite US strikes on two Iranian ports, describing the strikes as “just a love faucet.”

Mr. Trump spoke on the phone with ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott.

When he asks if it means that the ceasefire has ended, he says he replied, “No, no, the ceasefire is going away.