US strikes on Iranian cargo boats leave five dead

Shafaq News- Tehran

US claims that six vessels linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were targeted are unfounded, Iranian media reported on Tuesday, noting that several civilian cargo boats were in fact hit.

Citing a military source, Tasnim News indicated that two civilian-owned cargo boats traveling from Khasab along Oman’s coast toward Iranian shores were destroyed, with five people on board killed.

“Washington should bear responsibility for the incident and face accountability,” he added.

The incident comes hours after the launch of “Project Freedom,” a US military operation ordered by US President Donald Trump. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the operation includes the deployment of 15,000 service members, guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft across land and sea, and multi-domain unmanned systems aimed at securing commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran warned that any vessel transiting the strategic maritime gateway without prior Iranian authorization would be “targeted and destroyed.” Iranian officials have repeatedly maintained that passage through the Strait requires Tehran’s approval —a position rejected by Washington and under international maritime law.