Three U.S. Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz came under attack on Thursday, and the U.S. carried out strikes on two Iranian ports abutting the strait, putting into question an increasingly fragile monthlong ceasefire between the two countries. The American destroyers USS Truxton, USS Mason, and USS Rafael Peralta were attacked by Iranian missiles, drones, and small boats. The U.S. military’s Central Command confirmed the attacks in a statement and said the U.S. military responded with “self-defense strikes” on Iranian facilities, including drone and missile launch sites. The U.S. vessels were not struck, CENTCOM said. The U.S. targeted the Iranian ports of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm. President Trump told ABC News the ceasefire is still in effect despite the strikes on Iranian targets, which he described as “just a love tap.” Fox News reported the strikes on Qeshm and Bandar Abbas. American officials described the Iranian onslaught on three destroyers as fiercer and more sustained than a separate Iranian barrage that two of the warships faced only days earlier.
The vessels came under an intense Iranian assault as swarms of Iranian fast-attack boats maneuvered close enough that American warships opened fire to keep them at bay. Over several hours, the American warships and supporting aircraft mounted a layered defense, firing their naval guns and close-in weapon systems known as CIWS. Small-caliber gun teams on deck also engaged the attacking boats. Iranian forces also launched drones and missiles during the confrontation. As of publication, no casualties or damage to the ships were reported. Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social that there was “great damage done to the Iranian attackers.”
On Monday, CBS News first reported that two vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf after navigating an Iranian barrage. Despite the intensity of the attacks, neither U.S. vessel was struck. The incidents mark some of the most direct known exchanges between the U.S. and Iran since the ceasefire began roughly one month ago. Despite the ceasefire, the U.S. and Iran have continued to vie for control over the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that carries one-fifth of the world’s oil.
Commercial shipping traffic has been significantly impacted, causing global oil prices to surge and trapping hundreds of tankers in the Persian Gulf. Mr. Trump has enforced a blockade on Iranian ports to pressure the country into a deal. He launched a project to guide commercial ships through the strait, but subsequently suspended the initiative to see if negotiations with Iran can lead to a peace agreement. He warned of more severe actions in the future if a deal is not reached quickly.
