Trump calls Iran strikes a 'love tap,' says ceasefire still in effect
President Donald Trump said Thursday that attacks on Iran after it targeted U.S. destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz were a "love tap," and said the ceasefire between the two countries is still in effect.
"It's just a love tap," Trump told ABC News' Rachel Scott when asked about the strike.
Asked if the exchange meant the ceasefire, which began a month ago, was over, Trump responded, "No, no, the ceasefire is going. It's in effect."
Trump later reiterated his threat for Iran to agree to make a deal to restart negotiations to end the war or face attacks again.
"[J]ust 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 said on his social media platform.
The U.S. Central Command said it conducted "self-defense" strikes against Iranian targets after Iran fired at U.S. destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
"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 to the Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM said in a statement.
No U.S. assets were struck, it said.
CENTCOM said the USS Truxtun, the USS Rafael Peralta and the USS Mason were transiting the strait on Thursday when Iranian forces "launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats."
In response, U.S. forces 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 said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gave a contradictory account, saying in a statement that it had targeted U.S. warships in retaliation for U.S. strikes on an Iranian oil tanker headed toward the strait and civilian areas along the Iranian coast.
The IRGC also claimed to have struck the warships, "inflicting substantial damage," which CENTCOM disputes.
