The United States carried out strikes on several Iranian military facilities on Thursday (7/5), including missile launch sites and intelligence command centers, despite the ongoing ceasefire. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the operation targeted various facilities such as missile and drone launch areas, command-and-control centers, as well as Iranian intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance installations.

In a statement cited by CNN, CENTCOM said US forces intercepted what it described as an unprovoked Iranian attack and then launched retaliatory self-defense strikes while US Navy guided-missile destroyers were transiting the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman on May 7. CENTCOM explained that Iran launched multiple missiles, drones, and small vessels as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) passed through international waters, although no US assets were hit in the incident.

A US official also told CNN that the military operation was conducted in several locations, including Bandar Abbas and Qeshm.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine stated during a press conference on Tuesday (5/5) that Iran had attacked US forces more than ten times since the ceasefire began. However, none of those incidents escalated into renewed warfare.

The latest confrontation followed an incident on Wednesday (6/5) when the US military disabled an Iranian-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman by firing ammunition from fighter jets at the ship’s rudder as it attempted to sail toward an Iranian port. The vessel, identified as M/T Hasna, was located in international waters in the Gulf of Oman, and the US claimed it had violated Washington’s blockade.

On the other hand, a spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces stated that US airstrikes hit civilian areas along the coasts of Qeshm Island, Bandar Khamir, and Sirik. The spokesperson also accused the US of violating the ceasefire by targeting an Iranian oil tanker heading toward the Strait of Hormuz.

The spokesperson further claimed that Tehran’s forces attacked US military vessels east of the strait and south of Chabahar port.

The United States and Iran have continued exchanging attacks in recent days even though a ceasefire has officially been in effect since April 8.