The Kabul Tribune (KT) — CBS News has reported that two U.S. Navy destroyers successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf after facing a series of Iranian attacks, according to defense officials.
Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to
national security concerns, said the USS Truxtun and USS Mason were supported
by Apache helicopters and other aircraft during the transit. They encountered
coordinated threats, including small boats, missiles, and drones launched by
Iran in what was described as a sustained barrage.
Despite the intensity of the attacks, neither vessel was
hit. Military officials said defensive systems, supported by air power,
intercepted or deterred all incoming threats, and no projectiles reached the
ships.
The transit followed an announcement by Donald Trump on
Sunday that the United States would help guide vessels through the
strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. The waterway has seen disruptions since
late February, leaving hundreds of oil tankers stranded in the Persian Gulf and
contributing to rising global oil prices.
The U.S. military’s United States Central Command said
earlier Monday that American destroyers had passed through the strait as part
of an initiative known as Project Freedom, though it did not specify the number
of vessels involved.
Central Command added that two U.S.-flagged commercial ships
also completed the transit safely and said it has contacted dozens of other
shipping companies to encourage the resumption of maritime traffic.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Central Command, said Iranian
forces launched attacks on both U.S. naval and commercial vessels, prompting
U.S. forces to destroy six Iranian small boats. Iranian state media denied the
claim and said no commercial vessels had recently passed through the strait.
Iran has warned that U.S. forces entering the strait would
be targeted, raising concerns about the stability of a fragile four-week
ceasefire between the two sides.
Earlier Monday, Iran also launched missiles and drones
toward the United Arab Emirates. Authorities there said Iranian drones targeted
an oil tanker owned by Abu Dhabi’s state energy company as it attempted to
transit the strait. Iranian media, however, claimed a U.S. warship had been
struck, a claim denied by Central Command.
Meanwhile, the United States continues to enforce a naval
blockade on Iranian ports under Trump’s direction, aiming to increase pressure
on Iran amid ongoing negotiations for a longer-term agreement. Iran has
described the blockade as a violation of the ceasefire.
