Iran launched cruise missiles, drones and small fast boats against U.S.-flagged commercial vessels and U.S. Navy ships escorting them through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command. No American vessels were struck, Cooper said, and U.S. attack helicopters destroyed the small boats and intercepted the drones. Both Iran and the United States downplayed the extent of damage to their respective forces, with Iran claiming it had struck an American warship — an assertion Central Command denied — and Iran denying the U.S. had sunk any of its boats.

The clashes occurred as the U.S. Navy carried out a new mission ordered by President Donald Trump to escort commercial ships through the strategically vital waterway. Cooper described U.S. forces as acting in a purely defensive capacity, providing what he called a "thick layer of defense" to allow stranded vessels to transit out of the Arabian Gulf. When asked directly whether the U.S.-Iran ceasefire that took effect April 8 had collapsed, Cooper declined to say, though he acknowledged Iran was "initiating aggressive behavior."

The incidents extended beyond American vessels. The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, 3 cruise missiles and 4 drones fired from Iran over the weekend, resulting in three minor injuries — the first Iranian strikes on the UAE since the ceasefire was declared roughly a month ago. A South Korean-operated, Panama-flagged cargo ship also suffered an explosion and fire while anchored near the UAE in the strait, which Seoul's foreign ministry described as a "possible attack." All 24 crew members, including six South Koreans, were reported unharmed.

Trump addressed the events Monday on Truth Social, acknowledging that U.S. forces had shot down seven Iranian fast boats and that Iran had "taken some shots" at other countries, while encouraging South Korea to join the American-led escort mission. He did not acknowledge in a separate post that any Iranian fire had been directed at U.S.-flagged vessels. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical oil shipping chokepoints, and sustained military activity there carries significant implications for global energy markets and regional stability.

The episode represents the most serious test yet of the April ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which was reached following a brief but intense period of direct U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Whether the current hostilities constitute a formal breakdown of that agreement remains unresolved, with both governments so far avoiding language that would explicitly declare the ceasefire void. Analysts and allied governments will be watching closely in the coming days for further Iranian action and any escalatory response from Washington.