U.S. Strikes Iranian Forces in Strait of Hormuz as CIA Warns Iran Could Last 120 Days

American forces struck Iranian military targets Thursday after Iran launched missiles, drones, and small boats at three U.S. Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz — and President Trump is calling it a "love tap."

U.S. Central Command confirmed that the USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason came under fire as they passed through the international waterway into the Gulf of Oman. No American assets were hit. CENTCOM said it eliminated the incoming threats and targeted Iranian missile and drone launch sites, command-and-control facilities, and surveillance nodes responsible for the attacks. "CENTCOM does not seek escalation," the command said, "but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces."

Trump, in a phone call with ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, downplayed the severity of the exchange. When Scott asked whether the strikes signaled the end of the ceasefire that has been in place since April 7th, Trump replied: "No, no, the ceasefire is going. It's in effect." In a later Truth Social post, Trump claimed the Iranian attackers were "completely destroyed" and warned that if Iran doesn't sign a deal "FAST," the U.S. would respond "a lot harder, and a lot more violently" in the future.

Iran pushed back sharply, accusing the United States of violating the ceasefire. Iranian state media reported that the U.S. struck an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz and attacked civilian areas along the coasts of Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island. The U.S. has not confirmed those claims.

Meanwhile, a classified CIA assessment obtained by The Washington Post is raising serious questions about the administration's broader strategy. The intelligence report, delivered to senior policymakers this week, concluded that Iran can likely withstand the U.S. naval blockade for roughly 120 days before facing severe economic collapse — directly contradicting Trump's public claim Wednesday that Iran's missile arsenal had been "mostly decimated."

According to officials familiar with the report, Iran still retains approximately 70 percent of its pre-war missile stockpile and around 75 percent of its mobile launchers. Tehran has also managed to reopen underground storage facilities and repair damaged weapons systems. One U.S. official warned the CIA assessment may even underestimate Iran's resilience, saying the country's leadership has grown "more radical, determined, and increasingly confident they can outlast U.S. political will."

The White House defended the blockade, saying Iran is losing $500 million per day and that the pressure campaign is accelerating economic collapse. But analysts caution that Iran has adapted — storing oil on tankers, reducing production to preserve infrastructure, and exploring overland export routes through Central Asia.

Perhaps most concerning for global markets: analysts warn Iran's drone capabilities remain a serious threat to commercial shipping in the strait. Former Israeli intelligence official Danny Citrinowicz told the Post that even limited drone attacks could freeze global oil traffic, because insurers would refuse to cover tankers in the region. Citrinowicz also cautioned that despite battlefield gains, the war could ultimately strengthen the Iranian regime — leaving Tehran with significant missile capability and continued uranium enrichment capacity when the fighting is done.

Aniah Blanchard's Killer Sentenced to Life in Prison

A judge has sentenced the man convicted of killing 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard to life in prison — and her family says justice has been served.

Ibraheem Yazeed received two concurrent life sentences Thursday in Macon County, with the possibility of parole. A jury convicted him in March of felony murder and murder in the 2019 shooting death of Blanchard, a Southern Union College student from Homewood. The charges were reduced from capital murder, meaning the death penalty was off the table at sentencing. The life sentences are the maximum Yazeed could receive for those convictions.

Blanchard was last seen in the early morning hours of October 24th, 2019, after surveillance footage placed her at a convenience store along South College Street in Auburn — where she encountered Yazeed. Her remains were found a month later in a wooded area in Shorter, Alabama. Her cellphone was never recovered.

Outside the courthouse, Blanchard's mother, Angela Haley Harris, told reporters she had been nervous going in. "I'm happy that justice was served," she said. "My daughter fought a very violent criminal — and she got him off the street so he can never hurt anybody again." Her father, Elijah Blanchard, said simply: "Today, God has spoken."

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall called the life sentence what the crime demanded. Yazeed's attorneys say they plan to appeal, maintaining their client was made a scapegoat on false evidence.

The case left a lasting mark on Alabama law. Yazeed was out on bond — for an attempted murder charge — when Blanchard was killed. Her death sparked Aniah's Law, approved by Alabama voters in 2022, which expanded the list of offenses for which a defendant can be held without bail. Her mother has since founded a nonprofit, Aniah's Heart, focused on safety education for young people — and says she plans to keep that work going.