U.S. Strikes Iranian Targets in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Central Command said American forces responded to unprovoked Iranian attacks on three Navy guided-missile destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday and conducted self-defense strikes against Iranian military facilities. The destroyers USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason came under fire from multiple missiles, drones and small boats as they sailed toward the Gulf of Oman.

No U.S. assets were struck. CENTCOM said the targeted Iranian sites included missile and drone launch locations, command and control centers, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes responsible for the attacks. The strikes were described as defensive and not a resumption of broader combat operations.

Iranian state media reported explosions near the port of Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island in the strait, though the precise targets and damage remained unclear.

Iran's military said it fired missiles at enemy units after what it described as a U.S. attack on an Iranian tanker and another vessel entering the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran’s IRIB broadcaster, citing a military official, called the American action a violation of a ceasefire.

U.S. officials rejected that characterization, stating the response was limited to neutralizing immediate threats. About 1,500 ships and their crews remain trapped in the Gulf because of the Iranian blockade of the strait, according to the secretary general of the United Nations' International Maritime Organization.

The closure has disrupted global energy flows and prompted diplomatic efforts to restore safe passage.

“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." — U.S. The talks come even as each side accuses the other of violating earlier understandings. The United States urged countries to back a United Nations resolution demanding that Iran halt its attacks and mining activities in the strait, but diplomats said China and Russia are likely to veto the measure. Earlier this week, the U.S. military disabled an Iranian-flagged unladen oil tanker, the M/T Hasna, that attempted to breach a naval blockade in international waters. The incident followed President Donald Trump’s announcement that the Navy would escort commercial vessels through the strait as part of renewed Project Freedom operations.”