Two US Warships Cross Strait of Hormuz and Enter Arabian Gulf After Passing Iranian Barrier
Reflecto News | Breaking News | Iran-US Conflict
WASHINGTON — Two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers, the USS Truxtun and USS Mason, successfully transited the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Monday, navigating through a sustained Iranian barrage of missiles, drones, and small attack boats before entering the Arabian Gulf, CBS News reported citing Pentagon officials .
The warships are now operating in the Arabian Gulf as part of President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom” initiative to restore commercial shipping through the vital waterway, which has been effectively closed since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28.
🔥 Passage Under Fire: ‘Coordinated Threats’ Repelled
The two destroyers faced a coordinated attack as they approached the strait. According to Pentagon officials, Iranian forces launched a sustained barrage consisting of:
| Threat Type | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Cruise missiles | Intercepted by US air defenses |
| Drones | Shot down or jammed |
| Small attack boats | Six Iranian fast-attack boats destroyed by US Apache helicopters and Seahawk aircraft |
The passage was supported by US Apache helicopters and other aircraft, which provided a protective umbrella for the warships. No US warships were struck or damaged during the transit .
Earlier on Monday, Iran warned that any foreign armed force—”especially the aggressive US army”—would be attacked if they attempted to enter or approach the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC made good on that threat, but US forces successfully defeated each incoming threat.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), told reporters that Iranian forces launched “multiple cruise missiles, drones, and small boats at ships we are protecting,” and that US forces “defeated each and every one of those threats through the clinical application of defensive munitions”.
Cooper also confirmed that US forces have worked to clear an “effective pathway” through Iranian mines to establish a safe channel for commercial shipping.
🚢 ‘Project Freedom’ Underway: 87 Nations Affected
The destroyers’ transit marked the first major operation of “Project Freedom,” Trump’s initiative to break Iran’s months-long stranglehold on the strait. Alongside the warships, two US-flagged merchant vessels also successfully transited the waterway and are “safely headed on their journey”.
CENTCOM has revealed the scale of the operation:
| Asset | Number |
|---|---|
| Service members | 15,000 |
| Guided-missile destroyers | Multiple |
| Land/sea-based aircraft | 100+ |
| Multi-domain unmanned platforms | Classified |
Cooper noted that vessels from 87 different countries are currently operating in the Persian Gulf, and that US forces have contacted numerous ships and companies within the past 12 hours to “encourage traffic flow” through the strait.
The US is advising commercial vessels to sail closer to the Omani coast off the Musandam Peninsula, using standard maritime lanes adopted by the UN’s International Maritime Organization in 1968.
However, the entire region remains hazardous. The advisory by US Naval Forces Central Command warns that sailing in or near internationally recognized sea lanes “should be considered extremely hazardous due to the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated”.
🛑 Iran Claims US ‘Forced to Retreat’ — US Denies
Iranian state media quickly claimed a different outcome. The semi-official Fars News Agency reported that Iranian forces had successfully prevented US warships from entering the strait, asserting that a US vessel was struck by two missiles near the port of Jask at the southern entrance of the waterway and was “forced to retreat and flee the area”.
US Central Command issued a definitive denial, posting on X: “No US Navy ships have been struck. US forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports”.
The semi-official Tasnim News Agency claimed that “no commercial vessels or oil tankers” had transited the strait—a statement directly contradicted by US officials.
Earlier in the day, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps had warned that the Strait of Hormuz is “under the control” of Tehran’s armed forces and that safe passage must be coordinated with Iran “under all circumstances”.
💣 Trump: Iran More ‘Malleable’ as Threats Fly
President Trump, in a phone interview with Fox News, threatened that if Iran targets US ships, they will be “blown off the face of the Earth”. However, in a separate interview with ABC News, Trump stopped short of declaring that Iran’s Monday attacks had violated the fragile April 8 ceasefire, describing the engagement as “[not] heavy firing”.
The president also claimed that Iran is now “more malleable” than before the confrontation, suggesting that the US show of force is having the desired effect.
🌍 Regional Impact: UAE Condemns Attacks, Saudis Back Ally
The confrontation in the strait was not the only Iranian action on Monday. The UAE confirmed that Iran also launched drones that struck an ADNOC-operated oil tanker and caused a fire at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to express the Kingdom’s “strong condemnation” of the Iranian attacks. The Crown Prince affirmed Saudi Arabia’s “stand alongside the UAE” in defending its security and stability.
The UAE has called the attacks a “flagrant violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which demands unrestricted navigation in the strait.
📋 Key Takeaways for Reflecto News Readers
| Aspect | Summary |
|---|---|
| Warships | USS Truxtun and USS Mason transited Strait of Hormuz and entered Arabian Gulf |
| Iranian Response | IRGC launched cruise missiles, drones, and small attack boats |
| US Response | US forces destroyed six Iranian small boats; intercepted all incoming projectiles |
| US Casualties/Damage | None — no US warships struck or damaged |
| Successful Transit | Two US-flagged merchant vessels also safely transited the strait |
| Project Freedom | US operation to restore commercial shipping lanes, involving 15,000 troops, 100+ aircraft |
| US Warning | Trump threatens Iran will be “blown off the face of the Earth” if they target US ships |
| Trump’s Assessment | Iran is “more malleable” than before; engagement was “not heavy firing” |
| Iran’s Claim | False claim that US warship was struck; Tehran says strait is under its control |
| UAE Strikes | Iranian drones struck ADNOC tanker and Fujairah oil facility |
| Saudi Support | MBS condemns attacks, pledges support to UAE |
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