US claim of sinking Iranian boats ‘a lie’, senior military official says

A senior Iranian military official has rejected US claims that its forces sank several Iranian boats in an attempt to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, IRIB News reported.

The statement by the unidentified commander was carried in an IRIB report on Monday, in response to comments by US Central Command (CENTCOM) about an alleged confrontation between Iranian and US naval forces in regional waters earlier in the day, News.Az reports, citing Iran's English-language Press TV.

“The US claim regarding the sinking of a number of Iranian combat boats is a lie,” the commander said.

According to Press TV, CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said earlier on Monday that US forces had destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted missiles and drones fired at US warships. He also said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had acted to block US attempts to challenge Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.

The statement followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had ordered the military to begin an operation aimed at challenging Iran’s control over the Strait and ensuring passage for commercial shipping, after what he described as disruptions in regional waters.

In response, the IRGC warned that any attempt by US military or commercial vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with Iranian authorities would be met with swift and decisive action.

News.Az