Five civilians were killed in a US strike on small cargo boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported on Tuesday, disputing Washington’s account of the incident.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing a military source, said an investigation found that US forces had attacked two small boats carrying cargo from Khasab on the coast of Oman towards Iran.
“Following the false claim by the US military that it had targeted 6 Iranian speedboats, since none of the IRGC combat vessels had been hit, an investigation was conducted into the nature of the claim from local sources,” the source was quoted as saying.
The five civilians killed in the attack were passangers on the boats, the military source said, describing the strike as a “hasty” move driven by the US’ “fear” of IRGC fast-boat operations.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said earlier that American helicopters were used to destroy “Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping,” saying the vessels were targeted during efforts to secure traffic through the strategic waterway.
CENTCOM also accused Iran of opening fire on US warships and commercial vessels on Monday.
The regional conflict started when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a set deadline.
Since April 13, the United States has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
