Iran’s Fars news agency reported Monday that two missiles hit a U.S. warship near the Strait of Hormuz after it ignored a warning from Iran’s navy.
According to Fars, the vessel was moving “in violation of traffic and shipping security instructions” and was seeking to pass through the strait when it was targeted. The agency said the ship could not continue on its route after the strikes and was forced to leave the area.
No further details were immediately released on the extent of the damage or possible casualties. Axios reported that U.S. officials denied that a warship was hit by Iranian missiles.
The report came after Iran’s military warned U.S. forces not to enter the Strait of Hormuz following President Donald Trump’s announcement of “Project Freedom,” a U.S. effort to help free commercial ships stranded in the Gulf during the war with Iran.
Trump said the United States would guide ships and crews safely out of the restricted waterway, saying many vessels were running low on food and other supplies. He warned that any interference with the operation would be dealt with “forcefully.”
Iran’s unified military command said its forces would “respond harshly” to any threat and told commercial ships and oil tankers not to move without coordination with Iran’s military.
“We have repeatedly said the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in our hands and that the safe passage of vessels needs to be coordinated with the armed forces,” said Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s unified military command.
“We warn that any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive U.S. army, will be attacked if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
U.S. Central Command said it would support Project Freedom with 15,000 service members, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, warships and drones.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said.
Hundreds of ships and as many as 20,000 seafarers have been unable to transit the strait during the conflict, according to the International Maritime Organization.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker reported being hit by unknown projectiles in the strait soon after Trump’s comments. The agency said all crew members were safe in the incident, which took place 78 nautical miles north of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
Iran has imposed tight controls on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict, requiring vessels to coordinate passage with its military. Tehran says the measures are needed for security and has denied fully closing the strait. The United States last month imposed its own blockade on ships from Iranian ports.
It was not immediately clear which countries the U.S. operation would assist or how it would be carried out.