US destroys six Iranian small boats, shoots down missiles, drones as it opens Strait of Hormuz

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WASHINGTON - The US military said on May 4 it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones fired by Tehran as it sought to thwart a new US naval effort to open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump launched the operation, called Project Freedom, on May 4 as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran after it effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Israel started the conflict on Feb 28.

US Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, declined to comment on whether he thought a ceasefire begun on April 8 remained in effect as Iran lashed out in region, including with drone and missile attacks on the UAE on May 4.

But Mr Cooper acknowledged ongoing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps efforts to “interfere” with Mr Trump’s operation.

“The IRGC has launched multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats at ships we are protecting. We have defeated each and every one of those threats through the clinical application of defensive munitions,” he said.

Mr Cooper said he “strongly advised” Iranian forces to remain well clear of US military assets as Washington launches the operation, which he said involved 15,000 US troops, US Navy destroyers, over 100 land- and sea-based aircraft and undersea assets.

“The US commanders who are on the scene have all the authorities necessary to defend their units and to defend commercial shipping,” he said.

A South Korean ship was hit by an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, but Mr Trump remarked in a social media post that the South Korean ship was not part of the operation and perhaps it should join US efforts to protect ship movements near Iran. Mr Trump estimated the US had sunk seven Iranian fast boats.

The US operation to unblock the Strait of Hormuz involved multiple steps, including first clearing a pathway of Iranian mines. The US then proved the safety of the route earlier on May 4 by sending two US flagged commercial ships through the strait.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said no commercial vessels had crossed the strait in the past few hours, and that US claims to the contrary were false. Iranian state media also denied reports that the US had sunk Iranian vessels.

Mr Cooper said the US operation went beyond a traditional escorting mission. Instead, he said it was a larger, multi-layered defensive arrangement that included ships, helicopters, aircraft and even electronic warfare to defend against Iranian threats.

He said the Iranian fast boats were sunk by US Apache and Seahawk helicopters.

“If you’re escorting a ship, you’re playing kind of one on one. I think we have a much better defensive arrangement in this process,” he said. “We have a much broader defensive package than you would have ever if you were just escorting.”

The operation is Mr Trump’s latest effort to force an end to the disruption of international energy supplies caused by Iran’s blockade of the strait, which carried a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas before the war.

Mr Cooper said the US military was encouraging vessels to travel through the passageway despite Iranian threats to use military force that have effectively left craft from 87 countries stranded in the Gulf.

“Over the last 12 hours, we’ve reached out to dozens of ships and shipping companies to encourage traffic flow through the strait,” Mr Cooper said.

“This news has been quite enthusiastically received, and we’re already beginning to see movement.”

Mr Cooper said a US blockade of Iran, which prevents ships from going to Iran or departing Iranian territory, also remained in effect and was exceeding expectations. REUTERS