U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that a retaliatory strike by U.S. forces against Iran was "just a love tap" and that a ceasefire that has been in effect since April 7 remains valid.

The U.S. military said it carried out a retaliatory strike against Iran on Thursday morning. The targets were facilities believed to be behind Iran's attack on three naval vessels, which the U.S. military described as Tehran's reckless hostile act.

"As guided-missile destroyers of the U.S. Navy transited the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman, the U.S. military responded to Iran's reckless attack and responded with a self-defense strike," U.S. Central Command said on X.

It added, "The Iranian military fired several missiles, drones, and small boats while the USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason passed through international waters. The U.S. Navy ships were not damaged."

Rachel Scott, senior political correspondent for ABC News, said on X that President Trump told her in a phone call that the retaliatory strike on Iranian targets was "just a love tap."

When Scott asked Trump if the airstrikes had ended the ceasefire, Trump replied, "No, no, the ceasefire is still valid."

President Trump said late Thursday in a Truth Social post that the three destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz "very successfully" despite being fired upon by Iran, and that Iran's attackers were "completely destroyed."

"Three of our great U.S. destroyers, the best in the world, passed through the Strait of Hormuz under enemy fire and had absolutely NO damage. The Iranian attackers were COMPLETELY destroyed. There was tremendous damage to the Iranian Navy, and their boats were destroyed. They were sunk, fast and expertly. Missiles were fired at our ships, but easily shot down. Drones were also flown in, but burned up in the air. They fell beautifully into the sea, like moths to a funeral pyre!" he wrote.

He added, "Our three destroyers, with their great crews, will now rejoin the naval blockade, a true 'Wall of Steel.'"

Iran accused the United States on Thursday of violating the ceasefire agreement by attacking two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeting civilian areas.

In a statement, the spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, reported by Iran's state media, claimed that the U.S. "targeted one Iranian oil tanker in the waters near Jask off the Iranian coast heading for the Strait of Hormuz, and another ship in the vicinity of the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates heading into the Strait of Hormuz."

Iran also claimed that U.S. forces "in cooperation with some regional countries, carried out airstrikes on civilian areas located along the coast of Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island."

U.S. Central Command said it targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for the U.S. strikes, including missile and drone launch sites, command and control centers, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance bases, to eliminate threats to U.S. forces.

Central Command added, "We do not seek escalation, but we are always ready and positioned to protect U.S. forces."

President Trump claimed on Truth Social, "A normal country would have allowed these destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a normal country. They are led by madmen, and if given the opportunity to use nuclear weapons, they would not hesitate."

He added, "But they will never get that opportunity, and if they do not quickly make a deal, we will have them defeated much more powerfully and brutally than today!"

By Sung Ku Hong, Editor-in-Chief, NNP, USA / Special correspondent for this newspaper NNP info@newsandpost.com