Trump calls strikes on Iran a ‘love tap’, insists ceasefire holds as tensions flare near Hormuz; Tehran vows ‘crushing response’

US President Donald Trump has described the latest US action against Iranian targets as a “love tap”, insisting that the ceasefire with Iran remains in force despite fresh strikes, explosions and naval exchanges around the Strait of Hormuz.

The remarks came amid conflicting claims from Washington and Tehran over attacks near Qeshm, Bandar Abbas and the Gulf of Oman, even as both sides are reportedly discussing a short-term framework to pause hostilities and reopen the strategic waterway for commercial traffic.

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Trump made the comment during a phone conversation with ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott. “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 on X.

Asked whether the escalation meant the ceasefire had collapsed, Trump replied, “No, no, the ceasefire is going. It’s in effect.”

US confirms limited strikes, Iran warns of response

The comments followed reports of multiple explosions near Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin, citing a senior US official, said the US military had carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas.

“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,” Griffin posted on X.

In another update, she said the official reiterated that the action was limited and did not mark the end of the ceasefire.

Iran, however, accused the United States of violating the ceasefire by targeting Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. A spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, quoted by Press TV, warned that Tehran would deliver a “crushing response without the slightest hesitation” to any further aggression.

Naval confrontation near Strait of Hormuz

Trump also confirmed that three US Navy destroyers had passed through the Strait of Hormuz while coming under fire from Iranian forces.

“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 done to the Iranian attackers,” he wrote on Truth Social.

He claimed Iranian naval boats were “completely destroyed” and said missiles and drones targeting the US vessels had been intercepted.

Iran’s IRGC Navy Command, meanwhile, claimed that US vessels were targeted after the US Navy attacked an Iranian-flagged oil tanker near Jask port in southern Iran. Iranian state media said the American units were forced to retreat after sustaining damage.

According to US Central Command, American forces had earlier disabled the Iranian-flagged tanker M/T Hasna after it allegedly failed to comply with repeated warnings while moving through international waters toward an Iranian port.

Talks continue on 30-day pause

Amid the military exchanges, Iran and the United States are discussing a tentative one-page framework to halt hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, The New York Times reported, citing three senior Iranian officials.

The proposed arrangement would reportedly create a 30-day pause while both sides continue negotiations on a broader agreement.

The report said the immediate framework centres on lifting the US blockade on Iranian shipping and ports, reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic, and ending ongoing hostilities under the ceasefire.

However, major sticking points remain. Iranian officials said Washington wants Tehran to transfer its enriched uranium stockpile to the US, shut three nuclear facilities and suspend uranium enrichment for 20 years. Tehran has proposed diluting part of its stockpile and transferring the rest to a third country, possibly Russia, while suspending enrichment for 10 to 15 years.

Trump, EU chief discuss Iran’s nuclear programme

Separately, Trump said he held a “great call” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with both leaders agreeing that Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon”.

“We discussed many topics, including that we are completely united that Iran can never have a Nuclear Weapon. We agreed that a regime that kills its own people cannot control a bomb that can kill millions,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Von der Leyen also confirmed the call, saying, “We are united that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon. Recent events have clearly shown that the risks to regional stability and global security are too great.”

The two leaders also discussed the EU-US trade deal and tariff reduction timelines, with von der Leyen saying progress was being made toward tariff reduction by early July.