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World
Three US destroyers came under intense, hours-long Iranian fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, with crews using deck guns and helicopter missiles to repel swarming fast boats.
Three American destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday were subjected to what US officials described as a heavier and longer-lasting Iranian assault than one that targeted two other warships just days earlier. The attacks, which the US Central Command called "unprovoked," involved swarms of Iranian fast-attack craft closing to distances that forced the American vessels to open fire in self-defense, according to CBS News, citing US officials.
Over the course of several hours, the US warships and their supporting aircraft mounted a layered defense. They fired 5-inch naval guns and deployed Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS), while small-caliber gun crews on deck engaged the approaching boats. Apache helicopters launched Hellfire missiles, .50-caliber machine guns were fired from the decks, and additional aircraft provided air cover, officials said.
On Monday, CBS News first reported that the destroyers USS Truxtun and USS Mason had come under heavy Iranian fire as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf. During that clash, Iran also launched small boats, missiles, and drones in what officials described as a sustained barrage. Despite the intensity of the attacks, neither American vessel was hit.
These naval incidents rank among the most direct known confrontations between the United States and Iran since the two countries entered into a ceasefire more than a month ago, a pause that allowed time for negotiations on a long-term peace agreement. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters earlier this week that the ceasefire remains in effect, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the end of the initial US operation against Iran, dubbed "Operation Epic Rage."
