The U.S. conducted “self-defense” strikes against Iranian targets after Iran fired at U.S. destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to U.S. Central Command.
“U.S. forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes as U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
No U.S. assets were struck, it said.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) transits the Atlantic Ocean, on Feb. 21, 2026.
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jayden Brown/U.S. Navy
CENTCOM said the USS Truxtun, the USS Rafael Peralta and the USS Mason were transiting the strait on Thursday when Iranian forces “launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats.”
In response, U.S. forces targeted “Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes,” CENTCOM said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gave a contradictory account, saying in a statement that it had targeted U.S. warships in retaliation for U.S. strikes on an Iranian oil tanker headed toward the strait and civilian areas along the Iranian coast.
The IRGC also claimed to have struck the warships, “inflicting substantial damage,” which CENTCOM disputes.
