U.S. military denies Iran’s claim it struck warship in Strait of Hormuz
U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/V Blue Star III, a merchant ship suspected of attempting to cross into Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, on April 28, 2026. US forces released the ship after conducting a search and confirming that the ship’s voyage would not include a visit to an Iranian port.
US Marine Corps | CENTCOM
US Central Command on Monday denied allegations in Iranian state media that a US warship passing through the Strait of Hormuz was hit by two missiles and was forced to withdraw.
CENTCOM, the US military command covering the Middle East, said in a post on its official X account, “No US Navy ship was hit.”
“US forces support Project Freedom and impose a naval blockade of Iranian ports,” CENTCOM said. he said.
The “Freedom Project” refers to the United States’ new initiative to “free” ships trapped as a result of Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the main transit point in the war and through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil was transported before the start of the conflict.
President Donald Trump announced the operation Real Social post On Sunday evening, it was stated that the work would begin on Monday morning.
CENTCOM said in another statement: x post On Monday morning, the U.S. Navy reported that guided missile destroyers “are currently operating in the Persian 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 US-flagged commercial vessels have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz and continue their journey safely,” CENTCOM said.
This appears to be further contradicted by Iran’s Fars News Agency, which reported early Monday that a US Navy ship was hit twice while trying to pass through the strait.
The ship, identified as a US frigate in a social media post translated by Google, was attacked “after ignoring the warning of the Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, according to Fars, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Fars reported that the ship “was unable to continue its course due to these hits and was forced to retreat and flee the area.”
Iran has blocked most tanker traffic in the strait since the United States and Israel began war on February 28. The de facto shutdown triggered a historic energy supply shock, causing prices to rise sharply and increasing uncertainty in global markets.
Ship traffic remains low even as the United States and Iran maintain a tenuous ceasefire that has so far failed to produce any progress in peace negotiations.
Amid the temporary ceasefire, Trump ordered a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports in the region in mid-April, hoping to pressure Iran into a deal by blocking its oil export business. But experts told CNBC that Iran could hold out for months.
Trump said in a Truth Social post Sunday evening that the United States has told countries not involved in the war that “we will safely remove their ships from these restricted Waterways so they can go about their business freely and competently.”
His post seemed to acknowledge that the operation could further strain diplomacy efforts with Iran.
“The ship action seeks only to free people, corporations, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong – They are victims of circumstance,” Trump wrote.
But he added: “If this humanitarian process is interfered with in any way, it will unfortunately have to be intervened forcefully.”
