Iranian media outlets are reporting that a port on Iran’s largest island in the Strait of Hormuz came under attack. However, details are scant at the moment and no images have emerged to support the claims. We have reached out to U.S. Central Command for more information. The reports come as negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to end the war have been ongoing during a fragile ceasefire that would be further imperiled by a new round of fighting.
This story has been updated with new information from CENTCOM that it attacked Iranian targets in response to U.S. Navy destroyers being fired on by Iran.
“FARS investigations in Bandar Abbas show that during the exchange of fire between the Iranian armed forces and the enemy, parts of the commercial area of Bahman Qeshm pier were targeted,” the official Iranian FARS news outlet reported on Telegram.
The outlet did not say who had launched the attack. In a previous report, the Far said that “sounds of several explosions were heard near Bandar Abbas. A few minutes ago, people in Bandar Abbas heard several sounds resembling explosions near the city.”
Bandar Abbas is the epicenter of Iranian naval operations around the Strait of Hormuz and was attacked repeatedly during Operation Epic Fury. It is located about 15 miles from Qeshm Island.
The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News reports signs indicating a “UAE hostile action at Bahman Port in Qeshm,” while the explosions in Bandar Abbas were related to “defense activity in response to two small aircraft, ” Israel’s I24 News reporter Ariel Oseran reported on X. “If this issue is confirmed, the UAE will pay the cost of its hostile action.”
Though it is unclear what is taking place, online flight trackers show at least five U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling jets got airborne from the UAE at the same time. We don’t yet know if this is related.
The reported attack comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait and two days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the abrupt pause of Project Freedom, an effort to protect commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf. Though Trump claimed he did so to foster further negotiations with Iran, NBC News later reported that the president ended Project Freedom after one day because Saudi officials, surprised by the operation, withdrew access to its bases and airspace.
It also comes after Iran attacked the UAE and Oman in response to the U.S. moving to evacuate ships from the Persian Gulf under the now stalled Project Freedom. It’s possible this could be a direct retaliation for those actions from one of those countries. At the same time, there have been past reports of Iran activating its air defenses, possibly due to operations to probe the country’s air defenses in order to determine their status. This could be another one of those instances or a result of confusion entirely.
Iran’s islands in the Strait of Hormuz are strategic strongholds from which it can project its forces and surveil the region. The complex littorals that make up this waterway make it an ideal area for employing small boat swarming tactics. Iran retains much of its small boat capacity even after Epic Fury and has trained to employ it for decades. These islands are also a host to anti-ship missile and one-way attack drone systems. These can turn the Strait and the surrounding bodies of water into very dangerous places for ships to operate. This arsenal remains partially intact.
This is a developing story. We will update this post when we know more.
UPDATE: 5:01 PM
Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin is now reporting on X that the U.S. attacked Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas. Citing a senior U.S. official, she said she was told “but this is NOT a restarting of the war.
We have reached out to the Pentagon, CENTCOM and the White House for more details.
UPDATE: 5:14 PM EDT –
FARS is now claiming that the U.S. “violated the ceasefire by targeting an Iranian oil tanker ship moving from Iranian coastal waters in the Jask area towards the Strait of Hormuz, as well as another ship entering the Strait of Hormuz opposite the port of Fujairah, UAE. At the same time, they carried out air assaults on civilian areas in cooperation with some regional countries on the coasts of Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island.”
We cannot independently verify that and have reached out to CENTCOM for further details.
UPDATE: 5:29 PM EDT –
As we noted earlier in this story, the reported attacks on Iran came amid further discussion between the U.S. and Iran over peace negotiations.
Washington and Tehran “are discussing a one-page plan for both sides to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end hostilities for 30 days while they try to reach a comprehensive deal,” The New York Times reported hours before the strikes took place.
UPDATE: 5:36 PM EDT –
The U.S. military also just struck Iran’s Bandar Kargan naval checkpoint in Minab, Griffin reported, citing a senior U.S. official. That’s located about 50 miles due east of Bandar Abbas.
CENTCOM provided new details on X.
“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, May 7,” the command wrote.
“Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) transited the international sea passage. No U.S. assets were struck.”
CENTCOM “eliminated inbound threats and 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,” the command added. “CENTCOM does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces.”
Contact the author: howard@twz.com