Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Thursday that it carried out retaliatory strikes on an American airbase hours after aerial projectiles hit the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport, signalling another sharp escalation in tensions around the Strait of Hormuz despite an ongoing ceasefire effort between Washington and Tehran.
The latest exchange comes at a sensitive moment in the Iran-US standoff, with both sides publicly insisting that the ceasefire framework remains intact even as military activity around the Gulf intensifies. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a major share of global oil shipments passes, has once again emerged as the centre of the confrontation.
According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC said the American base was targeted at around 4:50 am local time after what it described as a “pre-dawn aggression” by the “invading American army” near Bandar Abbas Airport.
“Following the pre-dawn aggression today by the invading American army against a point on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport using aerial projectiles, the American airbase, as the origin of the aggression, was targeted at 4:50 a.m.,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Tasnim.
Iranian authorities did not disclose the name or exact location of the American facility allegedly targeted.
What happened near the Strait of Hormuz?
Tasnim also reported that Iranian and US forces exchanged fire near the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the day.
Citing what it described as an informed military source, the outlet claimed an IRGC Navy unit opened fire on a US tanker after it allegedly attempted to pass through the strategic waterway with its radar system switched off.
The report further alleged that US forces responded by firing toward “a scorched area around Bandar Abbas”.
Tasnim claimed the explosions heard in the region were linked to this exchange and said there were no casualties or major damage.
In a separate report, the agency said Iranian naval forces intercepted four vessels attempting to enter the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz “without coordinating with Iranian authorities”.
The vessels were first warned, according to the report. After allegedly ignoring instructions from Iranian forces, warning shots were fired, forcing the ships to retreat.
US says strikes were ‘purely defensive’
Meanwhile, CBS News reported that the US military carried out another round of strikes on Iran on Wednesday local time.
Quoting a US official, the report said American forces shot down four Iranian drones and struck a ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch another drone.
The drones were said to pose a threat near the Strait of Hormuz.
“These actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” the official told CBS News.
The same official added that despite the latest military exchange, Washington still considered the ceasefire with Iran to be holding.
Trump says Iran ‘cannot have nuclear weapons’
US President Donald Trump also reiterated his administration’s stand on Iran during remarks on Wednesday, saying he remained committed to securing a favourable ceasefire arrangement.
“Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. I’m doing that for the world, not just for us,” Trump said.
Speaking about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said the waterway would remain “open to everybody” and indicated that the issue continued to be part of broader ceasefire discussions.
The developments mark one of the most serious confrontations in the Gulf region since the ceasefire understanding between Tehran and Washington was announced earlier this year.