Trump Calls Iran Strikes a "Love Tap," Says Ceasefire Holds Despite Exchanges

Trump made the remarks in a phone conversation with Senior Political Correspondent for ABC News, Rachel Scott, during which he characterised the strikes as limited in scope.

"President Trump tells me in a phone call the retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets are just a 'love tap.' 'It's just a love tap'," Scott wrote in a post on X.

When asked by Scott whether the reported escalation meant the ceasefire had collapsed, Trump responded, "No, no, the ceasefire is going. It's in effect."

The comments come amid heightened regional tensions following exchanges of fire involving US naval assets and Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy transit route.

Earlier, Trump confirmed the exchange of fire between American and Iranian naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ceasefire agreement between the two sides, asserting that three American destroyers successfully passed through the strategic waterway despite coming under attack.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said three US Navy destroyers "transited very successfully" out of the Strait of Hormuz, noting they were fired upon by Iranian forces during the passage.

The US President further claimed that Iranian naval boats were "completely destroyed," adding that missiles and drones targeting the vessels were intercepted.

Meanwhile, following reports of multiple explosions near the Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Thursday (local time), Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin, citing a senior US official, stated that the US military conducted strikes on these strategically vital maritime corridors of the Islamic Republic.

Multiple explosions were reported near these sites in southern Iran, according to several reports from Iranian state media.

In a series of posts on X, the Fox News correspondent stated that the senior US official confirmed the strikes but stressed that the operation does not signal a return to full-scale conflict in West Asia or the end of the existing ceasefire arrangement.

"US military just carried out strikes on Iran's Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas: Senior US official tells me, but this is not a restarting of the war," she wrote in one post.

In a subsequent update, she added that the official reiterated the action was limited in scope, saying it should not be interpreted as a broader escalation or a breakdown of current de-escalation efforts between the two sides.

"A senior US official tells me that it was a US military strike on Iran's Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas moments ago but added this is not a restarting of the war or end to the ceasefire," Griffin posted.

- ANI