US Central Command said on Monday that US military helicopters sank six Iranian boats, an allegation Iranian officials have denied, according to Iranian media, as the ceasefire between the US and Iran appears to have collapsed.
The comments from CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper came after Iranian media reported that Iran struck a US warship in the region, which the US then denied. The Iranian Navy later said that it fired missiles and drones as a warning to the US warships that were approaching the Strait of Hormuz.
The apparent trading of fire between the US and Iran comes after President Trump announced US forces would “guide” commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, an escalation of US military operations that he dubbed “Project Freedom.”
Cooper said that the US attacked Iranian boats after they interfered with commercial shipping. “What we saw this morning was Iran initiating aggressive behaviors. We are simply going to respond to that,” he told reporters.
Also on Monday, the UAE said that it came under Iranian missile and drone attacks and that it has the right to respond. UAE authorities reported a fire at an oil facility after one of the attacks and said that three Indian nationals were injured.
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, President Trump threatened that Iran will be “blown of the face of the earth” if its forces attack US ships. “We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” he said. “We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”
Throughout the ceasefire, the US had been deploying additional forces and military equipment to the region, suggesting it was planning to restart attacks on Iran.
In response to Trump announcing “Project Freedom,” an Iranian official told Drop Site News that the US’s intention was “primarily intended to provoke Iran into taking an initial step toward confrontation, thereby creating a pretext for escalation and enabling him to justify further military action in response to an Iranian initiative.”
