U.S. strikes Iranian military sites after attacks on Navy destroyers

The U.S. military carried out strikes on Iranian military sites after Iran launched missiles, drones and small boats at three U.S. Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to the U.S. military.

“Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) transited the international sea passage,” CENTCOM said in a statement Thursday.” No U.S. assets were struck.”

U.S. forces responded with self-defense strikes against military facilities involved in the operation, including missile and drone launch sites, command and control locations, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes.

“CENTCOM does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces,” the command added.

A senior U.S. official earlier told Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin that the U.S. military had carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas, two strategic locations along Iran’s southern coast near the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The official said the strikes did not mark a restart of the war.

In a statement, Iran’s forces claimed the U.S. had violated the ceasefire by attacking an Iranian oil tanker near the port of Jask and said its forces carried out what it called a large-scale operation with ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and drones.

Iran also claimed the operation caused “significant damage” to three U.S. ships.

The exchange comes amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran and continued tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been disrupted by Iranian restrictions and U.S. efforts to block Iranian vessels.