A new clash between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Gulf dented optimism for a negotiated peace on May 8, despite President Donald Trump insisting a shaky truce was still holding while the sides inch towards a deal.
U.S. Central Command said Iranian forces had launched missiles, drones and small boats at three U.S. warships overnight but that none were hit, while American forces destroyed the incoming threat and retaliated against land bases in Iran.
Iran’s own central military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, countered that the clash had erupted when U.S. vessels targeted an Iranian civilian tanker heading towards the Strait of Hormuz and accused its foe of hitting civilian areas.
These strikes hit Bandar Khamir, Sirik, cities on the Iranian side of the Strait, as well as Qeshm island, it said, alleging that the attack was carried out with the cooperation of “some regional countries.”
Asked in Washington on May 7 if the ceasefire with Iran was still in effect after the clash, Trump said: “Yeah, it is. They trifled with us today. We blew them away. They trifled. I call that a trifle.”
Iran did not identify the accused U.S. allies by name, but the clash came as the United Arab Emirates complained that it had been forced to intercept a wave of drones and missiles from Iran.
Following the start of the war with U.S.-Israeli attacks on Feb. 28, Iran largely closed the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. later imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports.
Around 1,500 ships and 20,000 international crew are now trapped in the Gulf region because of the conflict, according to the U.N. International Maritime Organization.
Tehran had denied carrying out a strike on the major UAE oil terminal in Fujairah, but Iranian analysts have been allowed to appear on state media to suggest the Emiratis have been involved in recent attacks on Iran.
World markets had perked up and oil prices fell this week amid hope that a Pakistani-mediated peace process will prolong the U.S.-Iran ceasefire that began on April 8 and lead to a negotiated accord to end the conflict
