US Claims Shooting Down Iranian missiles and drones Amid Hormuz Clash

Washington: In a bold defensive operation amid rising hostilities, American military assets intercepted a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones targeting US Navy warships and merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, while also sinking several hostile Iranian vessels, according to US Central Command's leader.

The incident unfolded Monday during "Project Freedom," a newly launched US initiative—announced by President Donald Trump—to secure safe passage for global trade through the strategic waterway, which Iran blockaded following the unprovoked US-Israel attack on Iran on February 28.

Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, detailed how Apache and Seahawk helicopters swiftly eliminated six Iranian speedboats that posed immediate threats to commercial traffic. US defences then downed every incoming missile and drone aimed at both American ships and civilian freighters, including cruise missiles zeroed in on US destroyers.

Trump amplified the account on Truth Social, noting seven Iranian boats destroyed and minimal disruptions, except for minor damage to a South Korean vessel. Two US guided-missile destroyers successfully navigated into the Gulf, while two American merchant ships cleared the strait outbound without incident.

Iran rejected the claims, with state media citing a top officer who dismissed reports of sunk boats as "fabricated." Earlier, Tehran aired footage of its navy launching "warning" cruise missiles, rockets, and drones near US ships.

This comes after US and allied forces, including Israel, used advanced tech to reopen pathways in recent weeks. With over 900 commercial ships stranded in the Gulf as of late April per AXSMarine data, Cooper stressed prioritizing outbound traffic to ease the backlog, with two-way flow to follow.