US Forces Repel Iranian Attacks to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Under Project Freedom

U.S. forces intercepted Iranian missiles, drones and attack boats while escorting two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz in an operation called Project Freedom.

U.S. Central Command said the ships completed the transit successfully despite the attacks. Iranian officials called the claim baseless and warned that any foreign military presence in the strait would face attack.

President Donald Trump said any Iranian strike on U.S. vessels would draw overwhelming force. "Iran would be blown off the face of the earth," he wrote on Truth Social. A senior Iranian commander said American forces would be targeted if they approach and enter the strait.

Adm. Brad Cooper, U.S. Central Command commander, told reporters that Iranian forces launched cruise missiles, drones and small boats at protected vessels, mainly commercial shipping and some U.S. Navy ships, as the operation started. U.S. forces intercepted the attacks and destroyed six Iranian small boats. "We defeated each and every one of those threats," Cooper said.

The two U.S.-flagged ships passed through uneventfully, Cooper said. More vessels are expected to follow. The operation includes guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, unmanned systems and about 15,000 service members. Instead of individual escorts, U.S. forces provide a layered defensive umbrella with naval, air and electronic warfare across the strait.

U.S. forces first cleared and validated a transit pathway over weeks using advanced technology, then tested it with the U.S.-flagged ships.

Trump said Iran had fired at unrelated nations during the operation, including a South Korean cargo ship, and suggested allies could join. "Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!" he wrote.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps denied any commercial ships transited the strait. Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian military’s unified command, said any foreign forces entering the strait will be attacked.

Trump described Project Freedom as a humanitarian effort to aid neutral and innocent bystanders whose ships are low on supplies. He also warned that interference would meet overwhelming force.

The operation comes as a fragile ceasefire shows strain. The United Arab Emirates said its air defenses engaged ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones from Iran.

Retired Marine Corps Col. Ray Gerber said independent evidence of resumed commercial shipping at scale remains limited. Maritime tracking data and industry signals show no clear increase in traffic. "We’re not really seeing a lot of evidence of it," Gerber said. "Most of the industry is saying they’re still waiting."

Gerber questioned if U.S. forces had swept the corridor for naval mines, one of the waterway's biggest threats. He said sustaining the operation could grow more dangerous as Iran reacts to losing leverage. "The Strait of Hormuz is Iran’s primary leverage point. Any changes to that status quo raise the possibility of returning to more active conflict," he said.

Whether more ships follow and attacks escalate will decide if the strait reopens fully or stays contested.