N環球 
US and Iran trade fire in Strait of Hormuz overnight; Trump says ceasefire stands
CENTCOM says Iran fired missiles, drones and small boats at three US destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz late Oct 8; US forces intercepted the attack and struck Iranian military sites in self-defense. Trump says the ceasefire remains in effect.
Why it matters
The Strait of Hormuz carries about a fifth of the world’s oil shipments, and a direct US-Iran exchange of fire there is the most serious escalation since the ceasefire began, with immediate implications for oil prices and Gulf shipping security. Washington says it does not seek escalation, but Trump warned Iran faces harsher strikes if it does not quickly agree to a nuclear deal.
What happened
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that late Thursday night, Oct 8, three US destroyers — USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason — were transiting the Strait of Hormuz from the Persian Gulf toward the Gulf of Oman when Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats against them. US forces intercepted the inbound threats and carried out self-defense strikes on Iranian missile and drone launch sites, command-and-control facilities and intelligence nodes. No US assets were struck, the statement said, adding that CENTCOM “does not seek escalation.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the three destroyers transited “very successfully… under fire,” with no damage to US ships and heavy damage inflicted on the Iranian attackers, threatening a more violent response if Iran does not sign a deal “FAST.” In a subsequent call with ABC News, he said the ceasefire remains in effect and described the exchange as “just a love tap.”
Iran’s account
Iranian state media IRNA reported 8 killed and 20 wounded in the overnight US strikes, bringing October’s toll to 38. Tehran had earlier accused Washington of violating the fragile ceasefire with strikes on targets in and around the strait. The two sides’ accounts differ, and casualty figures have not been independently verified.
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