US, Iran exchange fire near Strait of Hormuz; latest scenario may further undermine trust, complicate phased agreement: Chinese expert

Global Times

By Liu Xin Published: May 08, 2026 12:07 PM

The US and Iran exchanged fire on Thursday, with Tehran claiming US violating a ceasefire by attacking two Iranian vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and carrying out airstrikes on civilian areas in the southern Iran, and Washington claiming it fired in response to Iranian attacks, according to media reports. A Chinese expert said the latest strikes may be another US pressure test of Iran’s ability to block the vital waterway and an attempt to push Tehran back to the negotiating table. However, such moves could further undermine Iran’s trust in Washington and make a phased agreement harder to reach in the short term.

The US said it attacked military sites in Iran on Thursday in retaliation for “unprovoked Iranian attacks.” US Central Command claimed in a statement on X that Iranian missiles, drones and small boats had attacked three American destroyers in the strait, but that US forces had “eliminated inbound threats.”

The statement claimed that, in response, the US military had “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes.” It also claimed that it “does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces.”

Tehran accused the US of violating a ceasefire by attacking two Iranian vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and concurrently carrying out airstrikes on civilian areas in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan and Qeshm Island in cooperation with some regional states, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Reuters reported that Iran’s top joint military command said it responded by attacking US military vessels east of the strait and south of the port of Chabahar.

“(The) US and its allies must know that Iran will respond forcefully and without the slightest hesitation to any act of aggression or attack,” the military spokesperson said, according to state television, per Reuters.

US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Thursday that the US and Iran traded fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, saying that three “world class American destroyers,” had moved out of the strait “under fire” but were not damaged. In the post, Trump also threatened more strikes “if they don’t get their Deal signed, FAST!”

Iran’s Press TV later reported that, following several hours of fire, “the situation on Iranian islands and coastal cities by the Strait of Hormuz is back to normal now,” per Reuters.

The two sides have occasionally exchanged gunfire since the ceasefire took effect on April 7.

The US’ latest military strikes on Iran may serve two purposes: to test Tehran’s ability to block the Strait of Hormuz, and to pressure Iran back to the negotiating table. The targets – Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas – are both strategic locations near the Strait of Hormuz. By striking these sensitive areas, Washington is probing Iran’s air defense capabilities and assessing the potential costs of a limited conflict with Tehran. In this sense, the strikes amount to a pressure test, Sun Degang, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Friday.

Trump said Thursday that attacks on Iran after it targeted US destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz were a “love tap,” and said the ceasefire between the two countries is still in effect. “It’s just a love tap,” Trump told ABC News’ Rachel Scott when asked about the strike. Asked if the exchange meant the ceasefire, which began a month ago, was over, Trump responded, “No, no, the ceasefire is going. It’s in effect.”

Before the latest exchanges, the US had floated a proposal to formally end the conflict. Tehran said it had not yet reached a conclusion on the emerging plan, per Reuters.

The proposed framework would unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement.

Sun said the US has a flawed approach to negotiations. He said Iran tends to become more vigilant when talks are accompanied by US military pressure. Iran has previously come under attack during periods of US-Iran negotiations, and this latest military action, again taking place during talks, may further undermine Tehran’s strategic trust in Washington and make a phased agreement harder to reach in the short term. In this sense, Washington’s approach may backfire.

Still, fighting while negotiating is likely to continue. Even if the two sides reach a memorandum of understanding, implementation may be difficult, especially as the US does not recognize Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. Washington’s drive to preserve its maritime dominance in the Gulf means friction and conflict may remain hard to avoid, said the expert.

Oil resumed its rally Friday after the US and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, fanning fears that the fragile ceasefire between the two countries was unraveling and threatening continued disruption to shipping via one of the world’s most critical oil routes.