WANA (Jun 13) – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) claims it has targeted and downed “several Iranian attack drones” that were allegedly attempting to strike commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

 

The claim by the U.S. Central Command comes amid explicit declarations from Tehran stating that maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz is permissible only with authorization from the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 

“Iran launched several one-way attack drones in an attempt to target commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “U.S. forces have shot down all of them in recent hours.”

 

Immediately following these assertions, CENTCOM reiterated Washington’s frequent talking point regarding the “openness” of the Strait of Hormuz—a claim that faces skepticism even among Washington’s Western allies, who themselves show no inclination to navigate their vessels through the strait without prior authorization.

 

Nevertheless, the CENTCOM statement maintained: “The flow of traffic through the Strait continues unimpeded. This international commercial corridor remains open for transit.”