US President Donald Trump launched Operation Project Freedom on Monday in an attempt to gain control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway in the region.
WASHINGTON, MAY 5: The US military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones as Tehran sought to thwart a new US naval effort to open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump launched the operation, called Project Freedom, on Monday as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran, which effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz when the conflict started on February 28.
US Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), declined to comment on whether he thought a ceasefire begun on April 8 remained in effect as Iran lashed out in the region, including with drone and missile attacks on the UAE on Monday.
But Cooper acknowledged the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) efforts to “interfere” with Trump’s operation.
“The IRGC has launched multiple cruise missiles, drones, and small boats at ships we are protecting. We have defeated each and every one of those threats through the clinical application of defensive munitions,” he said.
