US forces sank six Iranian small boats deployed to harass traffic in the Strait of Hormuz Monday, shortly before President Trump warned the Islamic Republic will be “blown off the face of the earth” if it interferes with efforts to reopen the crucial waterway.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) told reporters on a Monday press call that while Iran historically has deployed “between 20 and 40 small boats” to threaten commercial shipping in the strait, “today, we saw just six, and eliminated them quickly.”
“We have an enormous amount of capability and firepower concentrated in and around the Strait, including 864 Apache and MH 60 Seahawk helicopters,” added Cooper, emphasizing that Iran’s military capability has been “dramatically degraded.”
Monday’s strikes followed President Trump’s announcement Sunday evening of “Project Freedom,” a US initiative to clear the Strait of Hormuz of maritime traffic that has backed up for months since the start of Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28.
In response to Tehran warning it would resist any effort to force open the strait and insisting that any ships attempting to pass through the waterway must coordinate with Iran first, Trump told Fox News the Middle Eastern regime would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if they attack US-flagged vessels.
“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” Trump told correspondent Trey Yingst. “We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”
The president also claimed that Iran has become “much more malleable” in peace talks that have stagnated since mid-April.
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