Guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney observes a merchant vessel while on patrol enforcing the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. (U.S. Central Command)
U.S. forces have defeated multiple Iranian attacks aimed at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said Monday, the first show of force in the U.S. military’s newest endeavor to restore traffic to the vital waterway.
Iran launched multiple cruise missiles, drones and small attack boats at commercial ships and some U.S. Navy vessels, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a news briefing. Apache and Seahawk helicopters were used to sink six small Iranian boats on Monday morning, he said.
“U.S. forces are helping the international community in restoring the flow of global commerce,” he said. “The [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], on the other hand, is doing everything it can to terrorize and threaten commercial shipping.”
Cooper declined to say whether the mutual attacks mean the ceasefire, which began on April 8, is over.
The U.S. Navy is providing cover for commercial ships as part of Project Freedom, the effort announced Sunday by President Donald Trump to protect vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz and restore freedom of navigation.
Cooper said there are ships from 87 countries in the Persian Gulf seeking passage through the waterway, which has been virtually blocked by Iran since joint Israeli-U.S. strikes began on Feb. 28.
As part of the mission, the U.S. will coordinate with vessels and provide information on safe passage while keeping a fleet of aircraft and warships on hand to stop any Iranian interference, Cooper said.
The U.S. has managed over the last couple of weeks to clear a pathway through sea mines laid by Iran, Cooper said. The addition of guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members provides an extra defensive layer on top of that, he said.
The command had reached out to dozens of ships earlier in the day to encourage traffic flow, and the news was received with enthusiasm, Cooper said.
“We’re already beginning to see movement,” he said, noting that two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels were able to pass hours earlier.
Despite claims from Iranian state media, no U.S. vessels have been hit, Cooper said.
“I think the key thing for us is, we’re merely there as a defensive force, and in force, to give a very thick, layered defense to commercial shipping to allow them to proceed out of the [Persian] Gulf. That’s what we’re focused on,” he said.
Residents in the United Arab Emirates on Monday received the first reports of incoming Iranian attacks in more than three weeks. Cooper said the country has “exceptional capability” and is “well-positioned to defend” itself.
