Iran confirms missile, drone attack on US destroyers near Strait of Hormuz

Iran confirmed early Friday that it had launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on US destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said the operation came after what it described as a US ceasefire violation involving a strike on an Iranian oil tanker near Jask port and the approach of US destroyers toward the strategic waterway.

The statement said Iranian forces carried out a “large-scale and precise combined operation” using ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and explosive drones targeting the US destroyers.

It added that intelligence assessments indicated that the US vessels sustained “significant damage” and that three destroyers retreated from the Strait of Hormuz area.

Earlier, Iranian media reported that Iranian naval forces targeted three US destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz using missiles and suicide drones after what was described as a US attack on an Iranian oil tanker.

Tasnim News Agency said the vessels were retreating toward the Sea of Oman, while Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that the targeted “enemy units” sustained damage and were forced to withdraw.