The USS Rafael Peralta patrols the Arabian Sea in support of the U.S. blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports in April 2026. (U.S. Navy)
The U.S. military responded to “unprovoked Iranian attacks” with self-defense strikes as Navy guided-missile destroyers transitioned the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, U.S. Central Command said.
Iran launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason transited the international sea passage, CENTCOM said in a statement.
U.S. forces retaliated by targeting the Iranian military facilities responsible for the attacks, “including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes,” the statement said. No U.S. assets were struck.
The exchange of fire comes after reports from Iranian state media that the U.S. attacked an Iranian oil tanker. The Pentagon responded by referring questions to CENTCOM and followed up by sharing the command’s post on X.
On Wednesday, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln fired on and disabled an Iranian tanker that attempted to breach the blockade of Iran’s ports.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait lifted restrictions on the U.S. military’s use of their bases and airspace imposed after the start of Project Freedom, the U.S. mission to provide protection to commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report Thursday in the Wall Street Journal citing U.S. and Saudi officials. The report said the Trump administration was looking to restart the operation.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that he was pausing Project Freedom just a day after it began.
The decision was made, according to the Wall Street Journal report, after a phone call with the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in which the de facto Saudi leader conveyed his concerns and advised the president of the decision about base and airspace restrictions, the Saudi officials said.
“There was never a restriction or a ban to begin with, that is fake news,” the White House said in a statement.
For weeks, the U.S. and Iran have issued conflicting statements about the prospects for a final agreement to end the war that began Feb. 28. Even under a temporary ceasefire, Trump has repeatedly threatened to renew strikes if Iran does not agree to his terms, including surrendering its nuclear material.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has worked to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has slowed dramatically, driving up global fuel costs and rattling world leaders.
