The reported attack came shortly after Tehran warned Washington against going ahead with its plan to escort stranded ships out of the strait
Iranian forces fired two missiles at a US Navy frigate attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz on 4 May, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported.
“The frigate – which had been moving near Jask on Monday, violating maritime security and navigation rules in an attempt to transit the Strait of Hormuz – came under missile attack after ignoring warnings from the naval forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” sources told the agency.
“As a result of these strikes, the US vessel was unable to continue its course and was forced to turn back and flee the area,” the sources added.
Fars News Agency went on to say that “No further details regarding the extent of damage or possible casualties have been released yet.”
An Iranian source speaking to Tasnim News Agency said that “the first shots have been fired.”
“Iran is fully prepared for any scenario … In addition to firing at US vessels, Iran has also prepared other scenarios that it will implement, if necessary,” the source added. “Any movement in the Strait of Hormuz will not be carried out without the permission of the Iranian armed forces.”
An unnamed US official who spoke with Axios and Israeli Channel 12’s Barak Ravid denied the report.
No official comment has been made yet by Washington.
The reported attack came shortly after Iranian warnings were issued in response to a newly announced US plan to escort ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We have repeatedly stated that the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in the hands of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and that any safe passage, under any circumstances, takes place in coordination with the armed forces,” the Iranian army’s Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters said in a statement on Monday.
“We warn that any foreign armed force, especially the invading US army, will be attacked if they attempt to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement added.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, said that “Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.” On the same day, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a map designating an Iranian “area of control” in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said earlier on Monday that around 15,000 troops will be deployed under ‘Project Freedom’ in the Strait of Hormuz, alongside guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, and multi-domain unmanned platforms.
The night before, US President Donald Trump said Washington would begin an operation to “guide” stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz as a “humanitarian gesture.”
As part of its terms for an agreement, Iran is demanding management of and sovereignty over the strait without US involvement – but is eventually open to discussing a joint process involving regional states.
Monday’s escalation follows US threats to resume bombing and Israeli media reports signaling preparations for a return to war against Iran.
