ISLAMABAD: US guided-missile destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf as part of a new mission to restore maritime traffic in the vital waterway, the US military said on Monday.
The warships "are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, referring to the operation announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday.
"American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping," the command said, adding that two US-flagged merchant vessels had also successfully crossed the strait and were continuing their journeys, AFP reported.
US defense officials told CBS News that both the destroyers, USS Truxtun and USS Mason, faced a "sustained barrage" of small boats, missiles, and drones launched by Iran. The ships, backed by fighter aircraft and Apache helicopters, intercepted or deterred all threats, with no damage reported, CBS reported.
Officials said none of the projectiles launched reached the vessels, and US Central Command added that no American warships had been struck.
Iran denies account
Iran's Revolutionary Guards denied that any commercial ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz
"No commercial vessels or oil tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past few hours, and the claims of American officials are baseless and completely false," the Guards said in a statement on Telegram.
The commander of Iran's army, Amir Hatami, meanwhile, said on X: "American destroyers, using the trick of turning off the radar, were approaching the Strait of Hormuz, but our response was fire."
Iran’s State media, Tasnim News Agency, reported that Iranian naval forces fired warning shots near US destroyers after they approached the strait, accusing them of violating the ceasefire.
It said the navy had identified US destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz and fired multiple warning shots, adding, "following the Zionist American destroyers' disregard for the initial warning, the Navy issued a warning shot by firing cruise missiles, rockets, and combat drones around the aggressor enemy vessels".
