US Takes Out Six Iranian Vessels in Strait of Hormuz During Operation Freedom

U.S. Military Action in Strait of Hormuz

Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), informed reporters on Monday about the destruction of six Iranian ships that posed a risk to commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump initiated Project Freedom, a U.S. Navy program aimed at assisting commercial shipping through the strait. During a news briefing, Cooper stated that American forces acted against Iranian threats targeting merchant ships. “We have defeated each of these threats one by one,” he remarked.

Cooper emphasized, “We defended this ourselves and, in alignment with our commitments, we protected all of our commercial vessels.” He noted that drones had been deployed against merchant ships, all of which were defended as promised. He added that small boats threatening the merchant ships were eliminated by Apache helicopters.

The admiral mentioned to the Daily Caller that the United States had established an “effective route” through the strait, revealing that two U.S. warships had crossed through it in the last 24 hours. He refrained from confirming whether the ceasefire with Iran is still in place after the recent exchanges of fire.

Instead of escorting each ship, Cooper explained that the United States is engaging in a comprehensive defense operation to ensure safe passage for commercial vessels. “We have a much better defense posture in this process,” he stated, outlining the multiple layers of defense that include ships, helicopters, aircraft, and electronic warfare systems. “I feel good about that, and it has already shown effectiveness within the past few hours,” he added.

On the negotiation front, President Trump indicated that discussions with Iran were not progressing smoothly, despite earlier claims that Iran had “agreed to everything.” He described the ongoing talks as “very disjointed,” pointing out that Iranian leaders were at odds with one another and unclear about their leadership structure. He expressed concerns about the potential consequences of a U.S. withdrawal, remarking that it could take Iran two decades to recover.