President Donald Trump addressed journalists from the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on May 6, 2026. Kylie Cooper/Reuters
President Donald Trump conveyed on Thursday that the strikes against Iran, following its targeting of U.S. destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz, were merely a "love tap," adding that the truce between the two nations continues to hold.
"It's simply a love tap," Trump declared to ABC News' Rachel Scott when probed about the offensive.
When asked if the altercation signified an end to the ceasefire, which commenced a month prior, Trump stated, "No, no, the ceasefire is ongoing. It remains in effect."
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, May 6, 2026.Kylie Cooper/Reuters
Trump later restated his warning to Iran, urging them to reach an agreement to recommence talks aimed at concluding the war, or risk further attacks.
"[J]ust as we incapacitated them again today, we will incapacitate them much more severely, and with greater intensity, down the line, if they fail to finalize their Deal, QUICKLY!" Trump announced on his social media platform.
The U.S. Central Command communicated that it executed "self-defense" strikes on Iranian positions after Iran launched attacks against U.S. destroyers traversing the Strait of Hormuz.
"U.S. forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian offensives and countered with self-defense strikes as U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers navigated the Strait of Hormuz en route to the Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM detailed in a statement.
No U.S. assets sustained damage, it stated.
CENTCOM reported that the USS Truxtun, the USS Rafael Peralta, and the USS Mason were passing through the strait on Thursday when Iranian forces "discharged multiple missiles, drones, and small vessels."
USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) is shown near what the U.S. Central Command said was a vessel attempting to sail to an Iranian port, as it enforces the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, at an unknown location, released April 24, 2026.U.S Central Command via Reuters
In response, U.S. forces zeroed in on "Iranian military installations implicated in attacking U.S. forces, encompassing missile and drone launch sites, command and control centers, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance hubs," CENTCOM indicated.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps presented a conflicting narrative, asserting in a declaration that it had targeted U.S. warships as retribution for U.S. assaults on an Iranian oil tanker heading toward the strait and civilian zones along the Iranian coastline.
The IRGC further asserted to have struck the warships, "causing considerable damage," an assertion contested by CENTCOM.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com