A senior Iranian military official on May 4 dismissed U.S. claims about sinking Iranian military boats in the Strait of Hormuz as “false.”
The state broadcaster IRIB reported the denial, without giving any further details or specifying the military official.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper earlier said that U.S. forces had “eliminated” six Iranian “small boats” that allegedly tried to interfere with commercial shipping in the strait.
Cooper also said Iran opened fire on U.S. warships and commercial vessels, warning Tehran to stay clear of American military assets, according to U.S. media.
Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said no commercial or oil tanker vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in recent hours, rejecting U.S. statements on maritime activity as “baseless and false.”
Iran’s navy said it warned U.S. destroyers near the strait and fired warning shots after the vessels ignored alerts, according to IRIB, adding the ships had approached with radar systems turned off.
Army Chief Major General Amir Hatami also said in a post on X that U.S. destroyers were met with a “forceful response,” including the deployment of cruise missiles and combat drones.
President Donald Trump downplayed tensions, saying Iran had "taken some shots" but caused no harm apart from damage to a South Korean vessel.
"Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait," Trump said on his Truth Social platform as oil prices jumped over the renewed hostilities.
CENTCOM earlier said U.S. naval forces are operating in the Gulf as part of “Project Freedom” to restore commercial shipping, adding that two U.S.-flagged vessels had successfully transited the strait.
The developments come amid heightened tensions following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 and subsequent retaliatory actions by Tehran.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by U.S. President Donald Trump without a set deadline.
Since April 13, the United States has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
