On Monday, US Central Command (Centcom) said Iran had opened fire on US warships and commercial vessels, prompting US warships to return fire and destroy Iranian small boats. Later on Monday, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported, citing a senior Iranian military source, that the US statement was false.
The report said the incident had been described by the US as a successful operation against Iranian armed boats.
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom” to assist ships blocked in the Strait of Hormuz and seeking to leave. US Central Command said military support for the initiative would include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service personnel. The operation began on Monday morning.
IRIB later reported that the Iranian military had prevented US ships from passing through the waterway by striking a warship with two missiles, a claim denied by Centcom. Trump warned the Islamic Republic of “devastating consequences” if Tehran attempted to target US vessels near the strait.