IRAN LAUNCHES ANTI-SHIP MISSILES AT U.S. NAVY ESCORTED VESSELS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Iran has reportedly begun firing anti-ship missiles at vessels under U.S. Navy escort in the Strait of Hormuz. Initial reports cite explosions near Qeshm Island, a known Iranian launch site at the mouth of the waterway.
The Hormuz Report stated that the launches follow Iranian attacks on at least three vessels the previous day. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said it remains with its finger on the trigger and ready to respond to further escalation.
This marks a direct step up from weeks of Iranian drone and missile strikes on commercial shipping. Western security data shared with major outlets show Iran has averaged roughly 30 drone attacks and 10 anti-ship missile launches per week against ships in the strait since August.
Multiple tankers have been hit. Iranian state media and IRGC statements have confirmed near-daily strikes on targets in the waterway. U.S. Central Command has previously reported Iranian missiles and drones directed at American warships, including carriers and destroyers, with no confirmed hits on U.S. vessels so far.
The Strait of Hormuz carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil. Iranian forces have used coastal sites on Qeshm and nearby areas to threaten both commercial traffic and U.S. escorts. Officials on both sides have described the pattern as neither seeking full war nor willing to cede control of the passage. Continued missile launches against U.S.-escorted ships raise the chance of direct naval exchange and further disruption to energy shipments.