U.S. military denies Iran's claim it struck American warship in Strait of Hormuz
Iran has blocked tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Israel started the war in late February, resulting in supply and price shocks.
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U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit board M/V Blue Star III, a commercial ship suspected of attempting to transit to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, April 28, 2026. U.S. forces released the vessel after conducting a search and confirming the ship’s voyage would not include an Iranian port call.
U.S. Marine Corps | CENTCOM
U.S. Central Command on Monday denied claims from Iranian state media that a U.S. warship transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by two missiles and forced to retreat.
"No U.S. Navy ships have been struck," CENTCOM, the U.S. military command covering the Middle East, said in a post from its official X account.
"U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports," CENTCOM said.
"Project Freedom" refers to a new attempt by the U.S. to "free" ships that have been stranded as a result of Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a main chokepoint in the war through which about 20% of the world's oil was shipped prior to the conflict's start.
President Donald Trump, announcing the operation in a Truth Social post Sunday evening, said the efforts would begin Monday morning.
CENTCOM said in another X post Monday morning that U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are "currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom."
"American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping. As a first step, 2 U.S.-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey," CENTCOM wrote.
That appears to further contradict Iran's Fars News Agency, which reported earlier Monday that a U.S. Navy ship was struck twice as it attempted to sail through the strait.
The ship, described in a Google-translated social media post as a U.S. frigate, was attacked "after ignoring a warning from the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy," according to Fars, which is aligned with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The ship "was unable to continue its route due to these hits and was forced to retreat and flee the area," Fars reported.
Iran has blocked most tanker traffic through the strait since the U.S. and Israel started the war on Feb. 28. The de facto closure has triggered a historic energy supply shock, causing prices to sharply rise and stoking uncertainty in global markets.
Ship traffic has stayed low even as the U.S. and Iran maintain a shaky ceasefire, which has so far failed to yield a breakthrough in peace negotiations.
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Amid the temporary truce, Trump in mid-April ordered a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports in the region, hoping to pressure Iran to make a deal by blocking its oil export business. But experts told CNBC that Iran could hold out for months.
Trump, in his Truth Social post Sunday evening, said the U.S. has told countries who are uninvolved with the war "that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business."
His post seemed to acknowledge that the operation could further strain efforts for diplomacy with Iran.
"The Ship movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong — They are victims of circumstance," Trump wrote.
But he added, "If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
