By Jackson Richman
Contributing Writer
The U.S. military has destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted cruise missiles and drones launched by Tehran, as it carries out an operation aimed at keeping shipping lanes open through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Adm. Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, said on Monday.
Cooper said he had “strongly advised” Iranian forces to stay clear of U.S. military assets during the operation. He added that a U.S. blockade of Iran — restricting vessels from entering or leaving Iranian territory — remains in place and is performing better than expected.
This comes following an Iranian drone strike on the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah oil exporting zone.
Iran’s military warned that it will strike U.S. forces if they enter the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after U.S. officials confirmed a naval mission to help escort commercial ships out of the key waterway.
The warning, delivered by Iranian commanders and lawmakers on Monday, comes as the United States prepares to send thousands of personnel and military assets for an operation called “Project Freedom.” The mission aims to restore the flow of maritime traffic through one of the world’s most vital energy routes.
Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, who leads Iran’s central command, said in remarks broadcast by state media that Iran would target “any foreign armed force” attempting to approach or enter the strait, with particular emphasis on the United States.
He added that Iran considers the strait to be under its control and that vessels must coordinate with Tehran to ensure safe passage.
The Strait of Hormuz — linking the Persian Gulf to major global shipping lanes — handles about one-quarter of the world’s seaborne oil shipments.
Iran’s warning followed President Donald Trump’s announcement of Project Freedom, which he said is intended to reopen commercial shipping through the strait while also delivering humanitarian aid to crews in need.
“This process, Project Freedom, will begin Monday morning, Middle East time,” Trump said, adding that any interference with the effort would be met with a strong response.
U.S. Central Command confirmed that its forces would begin supporting the operation on Monday, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for commercial vessels.
According to officials, the deployment includes guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft across land and sea, unmanned systems operating in multiple domains, and roughly 15,000 service members.
The Monday development also comes as a South Korean ship was hit by an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters and Evgenia Filimianova contributed to this report.
