U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday evening issued a detailed rebuttal of three Iranian propaganda claims. CENTCOM stated that the Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes are safe, and that the immediate danger to vessels comes from IRGC attacks, not from U.S. naval operations. It denied Iranian claims that three F-35s and three other aircraft were destroyed in a strike on a U.S. base, and that the tanker M/T Nora breached the U.S. maritime blockade. CENTCOM said all missiles and drones were intercepted, and that over 20 warships, hundreds of aircraft, and thousands of troops continue to fully enforce the blockade.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday evening issued a statement at 20:02 Jerusalem time asserting that the immediate danger to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz comes from IRGC attacks, not from U.S. naval operations. The statement is the latest in a series of CENTCOM rebuttals to Iranian propaganda claims throughout the day.
The thread of reporting began early Thursday morning (03:06 Jerusalem) with unverified reports of U.S. strikes on Iran's Kish Island and other locations in southern Iran. Iranian state media and the IRGC claimed successful attacks on U.S. assets, including the destruction of three F-35s and a breach of the maritime blockade by the tanker M/T Nora. CENTCOM's first denial came at 03:06 Jerusalem, when it confirmed that no U.S. aircraft were destroyed or damaged. In subsequent statements, CENTCOM denied the F-35 loss claim, the tanker breach, and the assertion that Hormuz shipping lanes are dangerous. By 19:37 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported on a detailed CENTCOM rebuttal specifying that over 20 warships, hundreds of aircraft, and thousands of troops continue to fully enforce the blockade.
As The Zioneer has reported, the U.S. maritime enforcement campaign involves over 20 naval vessels, with 22 commercial vessels interdicted to date. The IRGC and Iranian state media have repeatedly released unverified claims of successful attacks on U.S. assets, which CENTCOM has consistently denied throughout the campaign.
The Iranian claims of successful strikes on U.S. aircraft and the tanker blockade breach remain unverified by independent sources. CENTCOM's denials are official, but the information war continues as the military campaign in the Persian Gulf persists.
9 developments
- DevelopingCENTCOM: Strait of Hormuz is international waterway, 1,000 vessels transited since May
- DevelopingCENTCOM says Iran does not control Strait of Hormuz; shipping continues as normal
- StrongCENTCOM released footage of engagement with Iranian forces in Strait of Hormuz
- ConfirmedCENTCOM intercepts Iranian suicide drones targeting commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz
Source and signal
- Open-source intake