A senior US admiral claimed today the United States has destroyed six Iranian boats and shot down missiles and drones fired at US Navy and commercial vessels by Tehran’s military.
The military operation came as US forces attempted to smooth the movement of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in an endeavor dubbed “Project Freedom” which President Donald Trump announced yesterday, reported AFP.
US Apache and Seahawk helicopters struck “six Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, the director of US Central Command (CENTCOM), speaking to press.
Cooper claimed US forces also “effectively engaged” all “missiles and drones that were fired at both us and the commercial ships.”
“Some cruise missiles were launched against US Navy ships but most of them and multiple drones targeted commercial vessels,” he claimed.
“We defended ourselves and we defended all of the commercial ships as part of our commitment,” Cooper added.
On February 28 US and Israeli forces launched a large military operation against Iran, causing Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas exports. In retaliation, American forces later established a blockade on Iranian ports.
Iran’s official television reported earlier today that its navy had fired cruise missiles, rockets and combat drones near US destroyers crossing the strait in what it called a “warning shot.”
Two US guided missile destroyers transited the strait into the Gulf as part of “Project Freedom,” CENTCOM stated, while two US-flagged merchant vessels transited in the opposite direction and “are safely underway on their journey.”
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