A U.S. Navy warship shadows the Iranian-flagged M/V Touska after it attempted to violate the American naval blockade, April 20, 2026. The standoff in the Arabian Sea reflects the broader battle for control of the world's most critical oil shipping lane, a fight Trump says the U.S. is secretly winning. (U.S. Navy)
After two days of U.S.-Iran attacks and sharp rhetoric, President Donald Trump said Thursday he called off new strikes on Iran and signaled possible progress in ceasefire talks.
“Discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved,” Trump said in a social media post.
Trump earlier Thursday said the U.S. military would hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT.” In the post on Truth Social, Trump also threatened to seize Kharg Island and “assume total control” of Iran’s country’s oil and gas markets “at some point in the not too distant future.”
Iran had said earlier Thursday that the recent U.S. attacks on its military facilities had rendered the countries’ temporary ceasefire “practically meaningless.”
In a statement carried in state media, the Iranian foreign ministry said the U.S. strikes were “illegal and criminal.” Iranian officials also warned countries hosting U.S. forces that they now stand “alongside the aggressors” and could face retaliation.
Iran and the U.S. signed a temporary ceasefire agreement more than two months ago but have since struggled to settle on a diplomatic deal to formally end the war.
In recent months, Trump has threatened on multiple occasions to take Kharg Island, which serves as the terminal for much of Iran’s oil exports, and launch devastating strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned in a social media post Thursday that “wrong strategies and impulsive decisions” would wreak havoc on energy markets and “create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years,” The Associated Press reported.
U.S. Central Command said Wednesday it had conducted precision attacks against Iran’s military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air-defense sites across the country.
The operation followed days of escalating attacks between the United States and Iran that began with the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter.
Iranian state media reported that its armed forces had targeted five U.S. military bases on Thursday, including Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, Ahmed Al-Jaber and Ali Al Salem air bases in Kuwait and the U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters and Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.
CENTCOM has not confirmed any damage to U.S. bases or personnel.
Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace Thursday morning after its army said it had activated air defense systems to intercept “hostile aerial targets.” There were no confirmed reports of damage or casualties.
Jordan’s military said it shot down 20 missiles launched from Iran toward the city of Azraq near Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The U.S. has been known to use the base to house fighter jets, including F-35s.
Bahrain’s interior ministry said falling debris from Iranian drone interceptions had damaged homes and vehicles in Hamad Town and the capital city of Manama.
An 11-year-old girl was also treated for minor injuries.
U.S. officials have characterized the recent strikes as self-defense, saying that they do not violate the ceasefire agreement. Following this week’s attacks, Trump told senior aides to pass a message to Tehran through Qatar, saying the strikes were in response to the downing of the Apache, not a resumption of all-out war, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Escalating attacks will likely further delay efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway between Iran and Oman that has been virtually closed since the war began in late February.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday evening, revealed that he had ordered the military last month to support oil tankers and other commercial ships through the strait, resulting in the movement of more than 100 million barrels of oil and the safe passage of more than 200 commercial ships.
Multiple media outlets, including Stars and Stripes, had widely reported on the U.S. effort.
By comparison, nearly 600 million barrels typically passed through the strait every month prior to the war, according to the International Energy Agency.
U.S. forces have continued to operate in and around the Strait of Hormuz throughout the ceasefire. Their mission includes defending commercial and military vessels from attacks and blockading Iranian ports.
The war began Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on U.S. bases and regional targets and sought to block traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
