2 U.S. Navy destroyers transit Strait of Hormuz after dodging Iranian onslaught

Washington — Two U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf aft navigating an Iranian barrage, according to defence officials who spoke to CBS News nether information of anonymity to sermon nationalist information matters.  

The USS Truxtun and USS Mason, supported by Apache helicopters and different aircraft, faced a bid of coordinated threats during the passage, the defence officials said. Iran launched tiny boats, missiles and drones against them successful what officials described arsenic a sustained barrage.

Despite the strength of the attacks, neither U.S. vas was struck. 

Military officials said that antiaircraft measures, bolstered by aerial support, successfully intercepted oregon deterred each incoming threat. They added that nary projectiles that were launched reached the ships.

The transit comes aft President Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. would assistance "guide" ships done the Strait of Hormuz, a important chokepoint that Iran has sought power implicit since the U.S. subject cognition began successful precocious February. Hundreds of petroleum tankers and different ships person been stuck successful the Persian Gulf for months now, driving up planetary lipid prices.

The U.S. military's Central Command said earlier Monday that American destroyers had traveled done the strait arsenic portion of the initiative, dubbed Project Freedom. The subject did not specify which oregon however galore naval vessels were progressive successful the transit.

Central Command said 2 U.S.-flagged commercialized ships besides transited the strait successfully, and the subject has reached retired to dozens of different shippers to "encourage postulation flow."

Adm. Brad Cooper, commandant of U.S. Central Command, said Iran launched an onslaught against the American naval and commercialized vessels that passed done the strait, starring the U.S. to destruct six Iranian tiny boats. (Iran's state-run quality outlets person denied that its boats were destroyed and claimed nary commercialized vessels person crossed done the strait recently.)

Iran has warned U.S. forces that they volition beryllium attacked if they participate the strait, putting into question a fragile four-week-long ceasefire betwixt the 2 countries.

Iran launched missiles and drones astatine the United Arab Emirates earlier Monday, and Iranian drones targeted an lipid tanker owned by Abu Dhabi's authorities vigor institution that sought to sail done the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S.-allied Gulf authorities said. Iranian media claimed a U.S. warship was besides deed by missiles, which Central Command denied.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is enforcing a naval blockade connected Iranian ports astatine Mr. Trump's direction, aiming to enactment unit connected Iran portion the 2 countries speech proposals for a longer-term deal. Iran has called the blockade a usurpation of the ceasefire.

In:

• Iran
• United States Navy
• Strait of Hormuz