The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran came under its most severe test yet on May 8 as Iranian forces launched missiles, drones and fast-attack boats against three US Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting American retaliatory strikes on Iranian military facilities at Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island and Minab. Despite the exchange of fire, both sides insist the ceasefire technically remains in force.

US Central Command confirmed that Iranian forces had launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats against the USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) as the ships transited the international sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

"No US assets were struck," CENTCOM said, adding that American forces had targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for the attacks, including "missile and drone launch sites, command and control locations, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes."

Iran's top military command gave a different account, alleging US aerial attacks had struck the coasts of Bandar Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island, and that Iranian forces had responded by hitting US vessels and inflicting what it called significant damage. The command accused Washington of violating the ceasefire.

A spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces said US strikes had hit civilian areas on Qeshm Island and surrounding coastline and described the attack on the Iranian tanker Hasna, whose rudder was disabled by a US Super Hornet's cannon earlier in the day, as a ceasefire violation that justified Iran's response.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman issued a veiled warning to Washington over US military movements in the Persian Gulf, following the reported exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz that has tested a fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Washington, Tasnim News Agency reported on May 8.

Esmail Baghaei, the foreign ministry spokesman, posted a metaphorical warning on his X account in response to recent activity in the Gulf region.

"If you see a lion baring its fangs, do not assume the lion is smiling," Baghaei wrote, according to Tasnim News Agency.

The United Arab Emirates government confirmed on May 8 that its air defence systems intercepted multiple drones and missiles fired from Iran, testing the stability of the fraying US-Iran ceasefire.

President Donald Trump posted a lengthy account of the engagement on Truth Social, describing the transit as a success and threatening further action, but admitting the destroyers had come under fire.

"Three World Class American Destroyers just transited, very successfully, out of the Strait of Hormuz, under fire. There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage was done to the Iranian attackers. They were completely destroyed along with numerous small boats, which are being used to take the place of their fully decapitated Navy," Trump wrote. He added that Iran would be hit "a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don't get their Deal signed, FAST."

In a phone call with ABC News shortly after posting, Trump described the retaliatory strikes as a "love tap" and insisted the ceasefire was still in effect. "No, no, the ceasefire is going. It's in effect," he said.

The collapse of Project Freedom

The destroyer engagement comes at the end of a 48-hour sequence that had exposed the operational fragility of Project Freedom — Trump's initiative to escort commercial shipping through the strait — and the limits of Washington's Gulf partnerships.

The crisis began when Iran struck the UAE's Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, the country's major oil port in the Gulf of Oman, with what the UAE's Defence Ministry said were 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones. Iran officially denied responsibility.

The Trump administration's decision to publicly downplay the Fujairah attack as not constituting a breach of the ceasefire infuriated Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which subsequently cut US access to their airbases — a decision that rendered Project Freedom operationally unviable and caused Trump to call a “pause” in the operation.

Without Saudi airspace, the US could not provide adequate air cover for commercial shipping transiting the strait.

The Trump administration framed the pause as progress in negotiations. Trump said a one-page proposal containing 14 points had been sent to Tehran and that a deal was close. Tehran denied any talks were under way.

Analysts speculate that the Gulf States were initially on board with Project Freedom, but after the Iranian attack on UAE, the Trump administration asked them to bear the damage as part of the president’s efforts to get a ceasefire deal. They refused and closed their airspace, forcing Trump to halt the operation, after which the Gulf airspace was reopened within hours.

The ceasefire in name only

The engagements on May 7 marked the second major naval confrontation in a matter of days. A day earlier, the USS Truxtun and USS Mason had already navigated an Iranian barrage while entering the Persian Gulf. The attack on May 7 was described by US officials as significantly more intense than the previous engagement a day before.

CENTCOM maintained its now-standard formulation: "CENTCOM does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces." The statement carefully avoided describing the exchange as a resumption of hostilities. Iran's armed forces described it as exactly that.

"They should not have done that today," Trump told reporters at an impromptu appearance at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. "We thought they might. We didn't know, but we were prepared. They shot missiles. Every missile was knocked down, every drone was knocked down, and the people that shot it are no longer with us."

What the ceasefire of April 8 now amounts to — with US forces striking Iranian territory, Iranian forces attacking US warships, both sides conducting offensive operations while publicly insisting hostilities have not resumed — is a question that neither government appears willing to answer directly.

The three destroyers have rejoined the naval blockade of Iranian ports. The commercial shipping stranded in the Gulf remains stranded. The strait remains closed to normal traffic.