U.S. Sinks Seven Iranian Boats and UAE Intercepts 19 Missiles as 'Project Freedom' Goes Operational

President Donald Trump's "Project Freedom" naval operation collided head-on with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, with U.S. Central Command confirming that American ships sank seven small Iranian boats while the United Arab Emirates intercepted 19 incoming Iranian missiles and drones in the largest single-day escalation since a fragile ceasefire took effect in early April.

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper, in a statement issued from the operation's forward command, said American destroyers including the USS Truxtun and USS Mason "transited the Strait under coordinated, multi-domain attack" before reaching the Persian Gulf. The U.S. military denied an Iranian state-television claim that two Iranian missiles had struck and forced a retreat by an American warship. "No U.S. vessel has been hit," Cooper said. "Every Iranian boat, missile and drone that targeted our forces today was either destroyed or intercepted."

Project Freedom, formally announced by Trump on Sunday, dispatches guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multidomain unmanned platforms and roughly 15,000 service members to escort commercial shipping out of the strait, which has been effectively closed by Iranian threats since the war began on Feb. 28. Two U.S.-flagged commercial vessels and a Maersk container ship, the Alliance Fairfax, transited safely under American protection on Monday, the first merchants to make the passage in more than two months.

The cost in oil markets was immediate. U.S. crude jumped to $104.12 a barrel and Brent crude to $111.23, while AAA reported the national average price of regular gasoline climbed to $4.46 a gallon — the highest in nearly four years. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters at the White House that the United States has "absolute control" of the strait, even as a UAE-owned ADNOC tanker was struck by two Iranian drones and a South Korean cargo ship reported damage from an external impact during the same window.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that "Project Freedom is Project Deadlock" and warned that any future U.S. interference would be treated as a violation of the April 8 ceasefire. Asked Monday afternoon whether the truce remained in force, Trump declined to answer directly, saying only that "we're having very positive discussions" with Tehran. In Abu Dhabi, the UAE Ministry of Defense said its air defenses engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones launched from Iran, with three civilians moderately injured and a fire reported at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.

Pentagon officials said the Iranian fast-attack craft sunk on Monday brought the running total of small boats destroyed since the war began to more than 90, while the UAE said its air defenses have now engaged 549 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles and 2,260 drones since hostilities started on the last day of February.