US Navy destroyers cross Strait of Hormuz amid Iran Ceasefire test
USS Truxtun and USS Mason crossed the Strait of Hormuz after an Iranian assault, a direct test of the iran ceasefire as US and Iranian forces traded threats over the waterway. A US defence official said the ships entered the Gulf after repelling the attack during transit, with Apache helicopters and additional military aircraft providing cover.
The Strait of Hormuz has become the sharpest pressure point in the standoff because the Americans deployed to escort vessels attempting to pass through it, while the IRGC said it would not allow vessels linked to its adversaries to move freely through the waterway. Mark Pfeifle said Trump’s Operation Freedom is designed to test Iran’s ability to keep the Strait sealed to US naval ships escorting commercial vessels.
USS Truxtun and USS Mason
A US defence official said the USS Truxtun and USS Mason successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf after repelling an Iranian assault during the transit. The same account said the two destroyers came under sustained attack, and that Iran deployed small boats, missiles, and drones against the vessels.
CENTCOM said Sea Hawk and Apache attack helicopters were used to eliminate Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping. Washington said the boats were destroyed while they were attempting to interfere with commercial shipping amid US operations to reopen the strait.
Iranian state media claims
Iranian state media reported that six Iranian small boats targeted by the US military on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz were not IRGC-affiliated and were civilian vessels carrying goods and passengers. Iranian state media also said five people were killed in the attack on the small boats.
A military official told Tasnim that Iranian authorities found US forces had “attacked and fired upon two small cargo boats carrying civilians that were moving from Khasab on the coast of Oman towards the Iranian coast.” The same official said, “This hasty and clumsy behaviour by the enemy stems from the excessive fear and nightmare of the US military regarding the IRGC’s fast-boat operations,” after the reported strike.
Operation Freedom pressure
Mark Pfeifle said Trump’s Operation Freedom is meant to force movement through the strait and build leverage over Iran. He said it is “trying to test the Iranian chokehold. It’s a very narrow passage, and he thinks he can get leverage, and it’s likely he can if a significant amount of ships can make it through during this Project Freedom tactic,” and added, “And that way, he can get leverage that can then be used against the Iranians,” and “Ships get through that have US support, while Iranian ships are unable to move their way through the Strait of Hormuz. So it’s more of a way to test the process for Mr Trump.”
Pfeifle also said, “That’s what’s going on right now. It’s a battle for who can get the most pressure on the other one to move the negotiations forward in a positive way.” For commercial shipping, the immediate reality is that US escorts are now being used through the strait while Iran presses its challenge with boats, missiles, and drones.
