Dubai – In an unprecedented military escalation threatening the stability of international shipping lanes, a senior US official revealed that three US Navy guided-missile destroyers came under “sustained” Iranian fire while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. This incident follows a US naval blockade of an Iranian vessel, signaling a potential slide toward direct confrontation in critical international waters.
Attack Details: Ballistic Missiles and Suicide Drones
The official told Fox News that the three US destroyers—USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87)—faced a coordinated Iranian attack throughout their 500-mile transit. US Central Command (CENTCOM) clarified that Iranian forces utilized ballistic missiles, one-way attack (suicide) drones, and fast attack craft in an attempt to disrupt the path of the US naval assets in the international corridor.
Decisive Response and Destruction of IRGC Facilities
In response, the US military executed immediate “self-defense strikes.” CENTCOM confirmed the successful neutralization of all threats, noting that no US assets sustained damage. The American retaliation extended beyond mere defense to include the destruction of Iranian military facilities responsible for the operation, including missile launch platforms, command and control centers, and “Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance” (ISR) stations belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Escalation Context: Aftermath of the Arabian Sea Blockade
Observers link this clash to an incident on April 26, when the USS Rafael Peralta enforced a naval blockade on an Iranian-flagged ship in the Arabian Sea, preventing it from reaching an Iranian port. It appears that Tehran’s “Battle of the Strait” is a tactical response to the US blockade. This armed clash in the heart of the Strait of Hormuz has placed global energy markets on high alert, amid fears that these skirmishes could evolve into a full-scale naval war of attrition.
