Trump calls US strikes on Iran a ‘love tap’ after destroyers targeted in Strait of Hormuz

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The State Department on Friday sanctioned four entities accused of supporting Iran’s military operations, including China-based firms alleged to have provided satellite imagery tied to attacks on U.S. forces and allied facilities in the Middle East.

“The targeting of U.S. service members and partners will not go unanswered,” the department said in a fact sheet announcing the sanctions.

Among those targeted were China-based geospatial intelligence company Meentropy Technology, also known as MizarVision, and The Earth Eye, which officials said provided satellite imagery to Iran during Operation Epic Fury.

The State Department also sanctioned Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., accusing the company of collecting imagery of U.S. and allied military facilities to support Iranian requests.

Iran’s Ministry of Defence Export Center, known as MINDEX, was also sanctioned. U.S. officials described it as the export arm of Iran’s defense ministry.

A new report from the Institute for Science and International Security says U.S. and Israeli strikes have significantly damaged Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon, targeting facilities and personnel tied to Tehran’s weaponization program.

The Washington-based think tank said Friday that at least six confirmed nuclear-related sites were destroyed, with several additional suspected facilities also hit during the conflict.

Using satellite imagery analysis, the report concluded the strikes “significantly degraded” Iran’s ability to complete a nuclear weapon and likely extended the timeline needed to build a bomb.

Before the June 2025 war, intelligence assessments reportedly estimated Iran could potentially produce a nuclear weapon in less than six months. The new report argues Iran now faces major technical setbacks because critical infrastructure, equipment and personnel were destroyed.

The analysis also said there are no visible signs Iran has resumed uranium enrichment activities at heavily damaged sites repeatedly targeted by U.S. and Israeli strikes.

The Treasury Department on Friday announced sweeping new sanctions targeting individuals and companies accused of helping Iran procure weapons and materials tied to its Shahed drone and missile programs as part of the Trump administration’s “Economic Fury” campaign.

The sanctions target 10 people and companies across the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe that U.S. officials say enabled Iran’s military procurement efforts, including the acquisition of weapons and materials used in Shahed-series drones.

“While the surviving IRGC leaders are trapped like rats in a sinking ship, the Treasury Department is unrelenting in our Economic Fury campaign,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “Under President Trump’s decisive leadership, we will continue to act to Keep America Safe and target foreign individuals and companies providing Iran’s military with weapons for use against U.S. forces.”

Treasury officials said the measures are meant to intensify “maximum pressure” on Tehran by disrupting oil revenue, procurement networks and financial systems tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Among those sanctioned were companies based in China, Hong Kong, Dubai and Belarus accused of facilitating weapons purchases and supplying raw materials allegedly linked to Iran’s drone program.

The Treasury Department said the action also targeted networks tied to Iran’s Shahed-136 drone program and operations connected to the IRGC Aerospace Force Self Sufficiency Jihad Organization.

President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. will “find out soon enough” whether Iran is deliberately “slow rolling” its response to an American proposal as tensions remain high following clashes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House before departing for Marine One, Trump was asked whether he believed Tehran was intentionally delaying negotiations.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Trump replied.

Asked later whether he was optimistic about Iran’s response to the U.S. proposal, Trump said, “We’ll see what happens. Look. They have no military. They have not a lot left. We’ll see what happens.”

Trump also appeared to reference the recent military exchanges when asked about reactions to the destroyers crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

“No, I have no reaction to that. No, not at all,” Trump said. “I think we’re doing very well. Iran is seeming to be coming along very well militarily. Very good. We’ll see whether or not they can get there.”

The president also said Friday that he wants the broader regional conflict to end entirely.

“We want to get the whole thing ended,” Trump said. “Not just individuals movements. We want to get the whole thing and we will.”

A communications account affiliated with Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on Friday called for demonstrations in more than 30 cities around the world on Saturday protesting Iran’s internet shutdown, arrests and executions amid escalating tensions involving the regime.

“Dozens of innocent Iranians, including 11 women, currently sit on death row, condemned to death by the Islamic Republic. The people of Iran are hostages of this regime,” the verified @PahlaviComms account posted on X alongside a video and graphics promoting the rallies.

“On Sunday, May 10, Iranians in more than 30 cities around the world will gather to be their voice,” the post added.

The accompanying graphics referenced protests against “the nationwide internet shutdown, widespread arrests, and the ongoing execution of Iranian citizens,” while listing planned gatherings in cities including Berlin, Los Angeles, Paris, Toronto, Tokyo and Vienna.

The video appeared to show previous anti-regime demonstrations featuring large crowds waving Iranian flags associated with the pre-1979 Iranian monarchy.

The graphics also showed two Iranians identified as Ansiya Nejati and Shahab Zohdi, claiming they “will be executed unless you break the silence now.”

The planned rallies come as Iran faces growing scrutiny over its internal crackdown while tensions continue in the Persian Gulf following clashes involving U.S. forces and Iranian military assets.

Jennifer Hegseth hosted a Mother’s Day garden party at the Pentagon on Friday honoring military mothers and spouses as U.S. forces remain on heightened alert amid tensions with Iran.

The Pentagon’s official “Department of War” account shared video from the event, which featured a “Mother’s Day Garden Party” sign and praised military families as “the true backbone of this country.”

“Earlier today, Mrs. Jennifer Hegseth hosted a garden party at the Pentagon honoring military mothers,” the account wrote on X. “Our military families are the true backbone of this country, and we are grateful for all they do.”

The event coincided with Military Spouse Appreciation Day, observed annually on the Friday before Mother’s Day.

The celebration came as the U.S. military remains heavily engaged in the Middle East following retaliatory strikes on Iranian targets and escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met with Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Friday to discuss regional tensions and Pakistani-led mediation efforts tied to the Iran conflict.

According to Qatar’s foreign ministry, the two leaders reviewed U.S.-Qatar strategic cooperation and discussed “the latest developments in the regional situation” along with efforts aimed at de-escalation.

Sheikh Mohammed “stressed the need for all parties to engage with ongoing mediation efforts to address the root causes of the crisis through dialogue and peaceful means,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Qatari leader added that negotiations should lead to “a comprehensive agreement capable of achieving lasting peace in the region.”

The meeting came as tensions remained high following U.S. retaliatory strikes on Iranian targets after American warships were targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.

Satellite imagery revealed a massive suspected oil slick spreading near Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal, in what experts say could be evidence that Tehran’s oil infrastructure is buckling under mounting U.S. pressure.

The slick, seen in Copernicus Sentinel satellite images between Wednesday and Friday, covered roughly 45 square kilometers west of the island, according to analysts cited by Reuters.

The incident is emerging as a potential sign that Trump’s maritime pressure campaign is achieving one of its central objectives: overwhelming Iran’s export system to the point where Tehran can no longer move or store crude fast enough to sustain normal production.

The suspected spill near Iran’s main oil hub is raising concerns that mounting U.S. pressure is overwhelming Tehran’s ability to store or export crude, potentially forcing risky workarounds with environmental consequences in the Gulf.

"At this stage I see two plausible explanations, and they’re not mutually exclusive," Miad Maleki, an Iran sanctions and energy expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

"One is operational: they simply didn’t ramp down extraction fast enough relative to their true onshore capacity and over-counted on empty tankers slipping through the blockade," he said.

"Now they’ve effectively over-delivered crude into the export system, with more oil at or near the terminals than they can actually load, and the ‘solution’ is to push some of that excess into the water."

Maleki said another possible explanation is mechanical failure tied to Iran’s use of aging tankers as floating storage or sanctions-busting carriers.

"They’ve dragged older, marginal tonnage into service as floating storage or sanctions-busting carriers, and some of those retired or poorly maintained hulls are now leaking," he said.

"Either way, the common denominator is the same — storage and evacuation capacity are out of sync with upstream output, and the Gulf is paying the price for that mismatch."

The incident comes as the Trump administration continues pressing its "Economic Fury" campaign against Iran, combining sanctions enforcement with a growing U.S. naval presence around the Strait of Hormuz aimed at restricting Iran’s oil exports.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital's Efrat Lachter.

U.S. Central Command on Friday corrected an earlier social media post about vessels disabled during ongoing blockade operations targeting Iranian ports, saying four ships have now been disabled during enforcement actions in the region.

The vessels identified by CENTCOM are the M/V Touska, disabled April 19, the M/T Hasna on May 6 and the M/T Sea Star and M/T Sevda, both disabled May 8.

CENTCOM also released photos of the USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason operating in the Middle East.

“The three destroyers are currently sailing in the Arabian Sea supporting the blockade against Iran,” CENTCOM said in the updated statement.

According to the military command, U.S. forces have now redirected 57 commercial vessels and disabled four ships “to prevent the ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports.”

U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz on Friday posted video from the United Nations showing him flanked by representatives from Gulf partner nations as he urged the Security Council to confront Iran over threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Now is the time for choosing,” Waltz said in the video posted to X. “Are the countries of the council choosing to stand with a regime that slaughters its own people, that brutalizes its neighbors, that strangles the world’s economy?”

Waltz contrasted Iran with “the shining cities of Manama, Kuwait City, Dubai, Riyadh, Doha,” saying the United States is choosing “to stand for freedom of navigation” and “international law.”

The remarks came as the Trump administration accused Iran of mining international waterways and attempting to impose illegal “tolls” on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials on Friday accused the United States of violating the ceasefire after retaliatory American strikes in the Persian Gulf, pushing back on President Donald Trump’s description of the attacks as “just a love tap.”

As reported by The Jerusalem Post, An Iranian military source told the semi-official Tasnim News agency that the U.S. strikes amounted to “a violation of the ceasefire and American terrorism.” The source warned the U.S. would face another “decisive response” if forces returned to the Persian Gulf.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also blasted Trump’s rhetoric, saying “naive euphemisms such as ‘a light slap’ would not erase the profound disgrace” caused by the strikes.

The comments came after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces carried out “self-defense strikes” against Iranian military targets after Iranian missiles, drones and small boats targeted three Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has insisted the ceasefire remains in effect despite the exchange.

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent asserted in a post on X that prior to the start of the Iran war, the U.S. intelligence community agreed that the Islamic Republic was not developing a nuclear weapon.

"One of the many tragedies of this war is that before the war began the U.S. Intel Community, including CIA, was in agreement that Iran wasn't developing a nuclear weapon & that Iran would target U.S. bases in the region & shut down the Strait of Hormuz if they were attacked by Israel & the U.S.," Kent wrote in a post on Thursday.

"The IC also properly assessed that targeting the Iranian leadership would strengthen the regime and embolden the hardliners. Despite the professionalism & accuracy of the IC, the narrative & agenda spun by a foreign government- Israel, won the argument & forced us into this war," he continued.

"We need to understand exactly how this happened to ensure we are never put in this position again," he concluded.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle said the following in a statement to Fox News Digital: "Joe Kent’s self-aggrandizing resignation letter and recent comments are riddled with lies. Most egregious are Kent’s false claims that the largest state sponsor of terrorism somehow did not pose a threat to the United States and that Israel forced the President into launching Operation Epic Fury. As Commander-in-Chief, President Trump took decisive action based on strong evidence which showed that the terrorist Iranian regime posed an imminent threat and was preparing to strike Americans first. President Trump’s number one priority has always been ensuring the safety and security of the American people."

Kent resigned from the National Counterterrorism Center director role back in March.

U.S. Central Command said Friday that American forces have so far “redirected 57 commercial vessels and disabled 3 to prevent the ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports.” 

CENTCOM made the announcement alongside a video showing photos of the USS Truxton, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason – three U.S. warships that came under fire by Iran on Thursday. 

“The three destroyers are currently sailing in the Arabian Sea supporting the blockade against Iran,” CENTCOM added. 

The three U.S. guided-missile destroyers targeted by Iran on Thursday faced non-stop incoming fire as they traversed 500 miles through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a senior U.S. official told Fox News on Friday. 

U.S. Central Command said Thursday that “Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) transited the international sea passage.” 

CENTCOM added that the U.S. military “responded with self-defense strikes” and that no U.S. assets were hit by Iran. 

CENTCOM said it “eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes.” 

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.

The arrest of two Israeli air force personnel on allegations of espionage has underscored Iran’s expanding efforts to penetrate Israel’s military by recruiting operatives from within.

Over the past year and a half, Israeli police, working alongside the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), have investigated more than 20 cases involving an estimated 40 to 50 suspects. Most remain in custody, though investigators believe additional suspects are still at large.

Capt. Sefi Berger of the Israel Police’s Lahav International and Major Crimes Unit, which investigates Iranian espionage cases, told Fox News Digital that Tehran primarily seeks intelligence that could aid attack planning, along with information on high-profile individuals and other sensitive targets.

Payments vary widely. One network of seven suspects reportedly received about $300,000, while an Iron Dome reservist was allegedly paid $1,000 — and in some cases, even less.

"People may think they will get rich, but the money is not life-changing," Berger said. "In one case last year involving two soldiers, one received just $21 and has been in prison for a year and a half."

Iranian recruitment tactics include infiltrating WhatsApp and Facebook groups used by Israelis seeking freelance work, as well as pornography websites, where agents allegedly use compromising material to blackmail individuals into cooperating. Recruitment also relies on emotional manipulation of individuals whose moral judgment may be compromised.

U.S. Central Command announced Friday that a U.S. fighter jet disabled the vessels M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda prior to them “entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing U.S. blockade.” 

“A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran,” CENTCOM said in a statement. 

"U.S. forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran," said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. "Our highly trained men and women in uniform are doing incredible work." 

The development comes after American forces also disabled the Iranian-flagged M/T Hasna vessel on Wednesday as it tried to sail to an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. 

“An F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) disabled the unladen oil tanker's rudder by firing several rounds from a 20mm cannon gun,” CENTCOM said. “All three vessels are no longer transiting to Iran.” 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the U.S. is expecting a response from Iran today regarding a proposed U.S. peace offer. 

"We should know something today. I mean, we're expecting a response from them,” Rubio said. “We'll see what the response entails. And the hope is that something that it can put us into a serious process of negotiation.” 

"Their system is still highly fractured and a bit dysfunctional as well. So, that may be serving as an impediment. I hope it's a serious offer, I really do," Rubio added.

Speaking at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Thursday, President Donald Trump urged Iran to sign the new U.S. proposal. 

“The talks are going very well, but they have to understand—if it doesn’t get signed, they’re going to have a lot of pain,” he said. 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that a clear red line has been conveyed to the Iranian regime: “If they threaten Americans, they're going to get blown up.” 

Rubio made the remark after U.S. Central Command announced Thursday that “U.S. forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes as U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman.” 

"If you were a missile launching guy, whatever they call that job, and you're sitting there and you fire a missile at the United States and we saw you fire it, we're going to hit you. Of course we are. Who doesn't do that?” Rubio said. “Unless you want to get your ship sunk." 

“I mean, we're not going to let our ships get sunk by the by the Iranians with their little, you know, their drones that they're firing. You know, they don't have a navy anymore, but they bring out these little Boston Whaler fishing boats and they try to swarm you,” Rubio added. “We're going to blow those boats up if they're coming towards our boats.” 

“I don't know if that's a red line, but I hope they know it is by now. So if I were one of these Iranians on a fast boat and they tell you, ‘hey, your mission is to go after a U.S. destroyer,’ you're probably not going to survive. I think that's a red line,” he also said.

The U.S. military carried out airstrikes Friday on several tankers trying to run the blockade on Iranian ports, a U.S. official told Fox News. 

The official said “these were Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC)... massive, empty ships trying to make it back to Iran” and that they “attempted to run the blockade.” 

The official added that several tankers were hit. 

These empty oil tankers could have been trying to make it back to Iran to buy more time for oil storage.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior fellow Miad Maleki told Fox News earlier this week that Iran only has 13 days worth of traditional oil storage, but has been buying more time using empty oil tankers for storage.

"They have a few days of the onshore storage capacity left, and then another 30 to 45 days of tankers to fill up," Maleki said.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Liz Friden contributed to this report. 

U.S. Central Command revealed Friday that American forces are currently preventing more than 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports during the ongoing military blockade. 

"These commercial ships have the capacity to transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated $13 billion-plus,” CENTCOM wrote on X. 

It said more than 20 warships stocked with over 200 aircraft and 15,000 troops are carrying out the blockade, which remains “fully in effect.” 

“No ships allowed in or out of Iranian ports,” CENTCOM added. 

Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused the U.S. of launching a “reckless military adventure” following the recent exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command said on Thursday that American forces “intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes as U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman.” 

“Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure. Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire?” Araghchi said Friday on X. “Whatever the causes, outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure.” 

Araghchi also questioned a report in The Washington Post on Thursday which cited a U.S. official as saying that Iran has retained about 75% of its prewar inventories of mobile launchers and around 70% of its prewar stockpiles of missiles. 

“Our missile inventory and launcher capacity are not at 75% compared to Feb. 28. The correct figure is 120%,” he said. “As for our readiness to defend our people, 1000%.” 

The United Arab Emirates said three people were injured Friday in a ballistic missile and drone attack launched from Iran. 

The UAE’S Ministry of Defense said its “air defense systems engaged 2 ballistic missiles and 3 UAV’s launched from Iran, resulting in 3 moderate injuries.” 

“Since the beginning of the blatant Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates, the air defenses have engaged a total of 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,263 UAVs,” it continued. “This brings the total number of injuries to 230, involving multiple nationalities.” 

“The Ministry of Defense affirmed that it remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront anything that aims to undermine the security of the country, in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability and safeguards its interests and national capabilities.”

President Donald Trump said Thursday that U.S. forces “blew Iran away” after an exchange of fire in the Persian Gulf, accusing Tehran of provoking the clash.

The president was referring to Iran’s attacks on three U.S. Navy destroyers, which prompted an American counterstrike.

“They trifled with us today. We blew them away,” Trump told reporters before shifting to questions about the ceasefire.

“I’ll let you know when there’s no ceasefire. Otherwise, you’d be seeing a big glow coming out of Iran,” Trump said.

Speaking at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump also urged Iran to sign the new U.S. proposal.

“The talks are going very well, but they have to understand—if it doesn’t get signed, they’re going to have a lot of pain,” he said.

“It could happen any day—it might not—but I believe they want the deal more than I do,” Trump added.

Yesterday's Fox News Digital liveblog has additional coverage of the Iran conflict.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that U.S. retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets were “just a love tap” and confirmed a ceasefire is in effect.

Speaking to ABC News, Trump also said “the ceasefire is going” before adding, “It’s in effect.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday that American forces “responded with self-defense strikes” on Iranian targets after three Navy destroyers came under missile and drone fire from Iranian forces but were not struck.

The U.S. targeted three Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz: Bandar Abbas, Qeshm and Bandar Kargan.

The destroyers targeted by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz were the USS Truxtun, USS Mason and USS Rafael Peralta.