The U.S. military said it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted cruise missiles and drones launched by Iran during a major operation aimed at reopening shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said the six boats were engaged and destroyed after being assessed as a threat to commercial shipping. President Donald Trump, however, said seven Iranian small boats were shot down, creating a discrepancy in the initial U.S. account. CENTCOM has maintained the six-boat figure as its official assessment. The operation, referred to by U.S. officials as “Project Freed

The U.S. military said it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted cruise missiles and drones launched by Iran during a major operation aimed at reopening shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said the six boats were engaged and destroyed after being assessed as a threat to commercial shipping. President Donald Trump, however, said seven Iranian small boats were shot down, creating a discrepancy in the initial U.S. account. CENTCOM has maintained the six-boat figure as its official assessment. The operation, referred to by U.S. officials as “Project Freedom,” involves guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned systems, and roughly 15,000 service members, according to U.S. defence officials cited by CNN. It comes against the backdrop of a broader conflict that began in late February, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian targets, prompting Tehran to effectively disrupt or close parts of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route. Despite President Trump telling Congress on Friday that hostilities had "terminated" and that no exchanges of fire had taken place since April 7, Monday's events represented a direct contradiction of that assessment. CENTCOM also confirmed that two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels successfully transited the strait under escort and are safely continuing their journeys. Iran rejected the U.S. account. A senior Iranian military official told state television that “the US claim that it sank a number of Iranian war boats is false.” Major General Pilot Ali Abdollahi, speaking on state broadcaster IRIB, warned that “any foreign military force, especially the aggressive US military, that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted.” The Strait of Hormuz remains heavily congested and unstable, with hundreds of vessels and as many as 20,000 seafarers reportedly stranded during the conflict, according to the International Maritime Organization. Many ships are said to be facing shortages of food and supplies while awaiting safe passage. The operation marks one of the most significant direct naval confrontations in the Gulf in recent years, underscoring continued volatility in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

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