Iran said its naval forces struck US destroyers near Hormuz after accusing Washington of attacking Iranian oil tankers.
Key Developments
- Iran said its naval forces targeted US destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz.
- Tehran claimed missiles and drones struck American warships and caused onboard fires.
- Iranian military sources warned clashes could resume if US forces reenter the Gulf.
Iran Claims Attack on US Destroyers
Iran’s naval forces targeted a group of US Navy vessels attempting to move three “violating” destroyers from the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman, according to a statement issued by the Iranian military and carried by Tasnim News Agency on Friday.
According to the Iranian military, the operation involved eight cruise missiles and 24 one-way attack drones.
The statement claimed that one cruise missile and three drones successfully struck US destroyers, causing fires onboard despite what it described as extensive American interception attempts.
Iran said the operation was codenamed ‘Martyr Mayouan’ in honor of Amir Bahador Mayouan.
Earlier on Friday, Fars News Agency reported sporadic clashes between Iranian armed forces and US naval vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.
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Fars, citing security sources, said Iranian forces had thwarted an attempted US attack targeting an Iranian oil tanker in the same area the previous night.
Separately, an informed military source told Tasnim that Iranian naval forces responded after what Tehran described as US aggression against Iranian oil tankers.
The source said clashes later subsided and that the situation had become calm, while warning that renewed confrontations remain possible.
“If the Americans intend to enter the Persian Gulf again or cause trouble for Iranian vessels, they will receive another decisive response,” the source stated.
Iran Accuses US of Violating Ceasefire
Earlier, the spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Ebrahim Zolfaghar, accused the US military of violating the April 8 ceasefire.
The spokesperson stated that American forces attacked an Iranian oil tanker traveling from Iranian coastal waters near Jask toward the Strait of Hormuz.
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According to the same statement, US forces also targeted another vessel entering the Strait opposite the Emirati port of Fujairah.
The spokesperson warned that Iran would respond “fiercely and without hesitation” to any further aggression.
Iran’s UN Ambassador Condemns US Actions
Meanwhile, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Saeed Iravani sent a formal letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Security Council President Fu Cong condemning recent US military actions.
In the letter, Iravani described the attacks on Iranian oil tankers and coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz as “acts of aggression” and violations of international law and the UN Charter.
He also condemned what Tehran describes as a US maritime blockade, the seizure of Iranian commercial vessels, and the detention of their crews.
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“The consequences of the United States’ continued military actions in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz could be catastrophic,” Iravani warned.
Iranian officials stressed that while clashes have temporarily subsided, the possibility of renewed confrontation remains high.
Tehran maintains that its military actions are defensive responses to what it describes as US aggression and violations of the ceasefire agreement.
The developments come amid continued tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors for global oil and commercial shipping.
(PC, Tasnim, Fars)
