The United States said its forces destroyed several Iranian boats and intercepted missiles and drones on Monday as Washington launched a military operation aimed at reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
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The operation, ordered by US President Donald Trump and named Project Freedom, seeks to restore commercial shipping through the narrow waterway after Iran effectively blocked the route following the start of the conflict with the US and Israel on February 28.
US military officials said Iranian forces attempted to disrupt the mission with a series of attacks, but all threats were successfully repelled.
Iranian attacks intercepted
US Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said American forces shot down Iranian cruise missiles and drones and destroyed six Iranian fast boats that approached ships under US protection.
“The IRGC has launched multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats at ships we are protecting,” Cooper said, referring to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
He said US forces had “defeated each and every one of those threats” using defensive weapons.
Cooper warned Iranian units to stay away from US military assets as the mission expanded, saying commanders had full authority to protect both their forces and commercial shipping.
The operation involves about 15,000 US troops, naval destroyers, more than 100 aircraft operating from land and sea, and additional undersea assets.
Operation to reopen the strait
US officials said the mission was designed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime corridor through which about one fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies moved before the conflict disrupted traffic.
The effort began with clearing Iranian mines from the waterway. US forces later sent two US-flagged commercial vessels through the passage to demonstrate that the route was safe.
Cooper said the operation differed from a traditional escort mission for merchant ships. Instead, it uses a broader defensive structure including naval vessels, helicopters, aircraft and electronic warfare systems to counter potential threats.
The Iranian fast boats that were destroyed were targeted by US Apache and Seahawk helicopters, he added.
Conflicting claims from Iran
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied that any commercial ships had crossed the strait recently and dismissed US claims about the military operation.
Iranian state media also rejected reports that Iranian vessels had been sunk.
Meanwhile, a South Korean vessel was damaged by an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. Trump said in a social media post that the ship was not part of the US operation, suggesting it might benefit from joining the American effort to protect shipping near Iran.
Trump also estimated that US forces had sunk seven Iranian fast boats, though the US military reported six.
Shipping urged to resume passage
Cooper said the US military had been contacting shipping companies and vessels in the region to encourage traffic through the strait despite Iranian warnings.
He said ships from 87 countries had been effectively stranded in the Gulf due to Iran’s blockade and threats of military action.
According to Cooper, early responses from the shipping industry had been positive, with some movement through the waterway already beginning.
The United States is also maintaining a separate blockade preventing vessels from entering or leaving Iran, a measure Cooper said had so far been highly effective.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 5 May 2026
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