Iran says US strike in Hormuz hit civilian boats and killed five people

Iran has accused US forces of attacking two small civilian boats in the Strait of Hormuz and killing five passengers, directly disputing the American account that the vessels were Iranian military craft threatening commercial shipping.

The Details

Iranian state media and military sources have disputed the US account of a clash in the Strait of Hormuz. An unnamed Iranian military source told Tasnim that US forces attacked two small boats carrying civilian cargo that were traveling from Khasab, Oman, toward Iran, killing five passengers on board. The source rejected the US claim of hitting IRGC speedboats, saying instead that the targeted vessels were civilian craft carrying goods. ABC News Australia reported the Tasnim account. Al Jazeera reported that IRIB and an unnamed Iranian military commander carried the same claim. ANI and The Economic Times also reported the Iranian account that the boats were civilian rather than IRGC vessels and that five people were killed. The source said, "It was determined that the American aggressive forces had attacked 2 small boats carrying people's cargo that were moving from Khasab on the coasts of Oman towards the coasts of Iran." The source added, "The Americans must definitely be held accountable for their crime in this regard." The US military described the engagement differently. US Central Command said Sea Hawk and Apache helicopters were used against Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping during the Hormuz escort mission. The CENTCOM account, as quoted by ANI and The Economic Times, stated, "Sea Hawk and Apache attack helicopters were used to eliminate Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping." US-linked reporting described the action as defensive and targeting boats that posed a threat to commercial shipping rather than civilian passenger craft.

Context

US Admiral Brad Cooper said Central Command forces had sunk six IRGC vessels that attempted to interfere with the US mission escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump later said the number of boats hit was seven, creating a discrepancy in the publicly reported US account. The incident occurred during the US maritime escort operation known as Project Freedom, launched to move commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. It adds further strain to a fragile US-Iran ceasefire reached on April 8, which has coincided with Iranian attacks on UAE targets and mounting concern over shipping through the waterway. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of global energy supplies, making even disputed military incidents in the waterway globally significant.

What's Next

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the US escort mission, saying, "Project Freedom is Project Deadlock." The US military had not publicly responded directly to the specific allegation that five civilians were killed at the time of reporting. No independent visual or official third-party confirmation had emerged to support either the Iranian claim that the boats were civilian passenger craft or the US assertion that they were IRGC vessels. The reporting record notes that current coverage relies on Iranian military and state-media claims and syndicated pickups, leaving the exact nature of the targeted vessels unresolved.