The United States launched strikes Thursday on Iranian targets near Qeshm Port in the Strait of Hormuz and Bandar Abbas, in what officials described as a limited response operation that does not signal either a renewed war or the collapse of the current ceasefire.

According to Fox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin, U.S. officials said the strikes were carefully calibrated and not intended to restart full-scale hostilities with Iran.

U.S. forces also struck Iran’s Bandar Kargan naval checkpoint in Minab, officials confirmed.

The strikes came amid reports of heightened military activity across Iran. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported air defense systems were activated in western Tehran, while witnesses reported hearing multiple explosions in Tehran’s Chitgar district.

Iran’s Mehr News Agency also reported attacks and exchanges of fire throughout southern Hormozgan province, including areas near Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island.

The operation follows Iran’s missile barrage earlier this week against the UAE’s Fujairah Port, when Tehran launched approximately 15 ballistic and cruise missiles during ongoing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian strikes reportedly infuriated Gulf nations after senior Pentagon officials appeared to downplay the attack.

During a Pentagon briefing Tuesday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine characterized Iran’s attack on the UAE as a “low-level incident” that did not constitute a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

That response reportedly triggered sharp backlash from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, according to Fox News. A senior U.S. official said both countries temporarily suspended permission for the United States to use their airspace and military bases for “Project Freedom” — the American-led operation launched to reopen and secure shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump had announced Project Freedom on May 3 before later pausing portions of the operation on May 5.

According to the senior official, Saudi and Kuwaiti cooperation has since been restored, allowing the United States to resume operational access in the region.

The latest strikes come as Washington continues awaiting Iran’s formal response to a new U.S. proposal aimed at stabilizing the region and preserving the fragile ceasefire.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)