U.S. Denies Iranian Claims of Strikes on Two American Destroyers
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has rejected Iranian claims that ballistic missiles struck two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers, USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) and USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53).
CENTCOM said no U.S. Navy warship was struck or damaged, stating that the Iranian missile attacks were successfully evaded or defeated by the ships’ defensive systems.
The statement directly contradicts claims from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which said its forces had targeted the two destroyers with ballistic missiles and inflicted significant damage. Those Iranian claims have not been independently verified.
The confrontation occurred amid a major escalation around the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces had earlier destroyed five Iranian-linked oil tankers after Iranian missile attacks against U.S. naval vessels, according to CENTCOM.
Iran subsequently claimed to have attacked multiple vessels in the region, including two U.S. ships, while Washington has continued to deny that its warships suffered damage.
The competing claims highlight the difficulty of independently assessing battlefield damage during the rapidly escalating conflict. At this stage, there is no independent confirmation that DDG-119 or DDG-53 sustained damage.
The situation remains highly fluid, with further missile and maritime attacks possible as tensions continue to escalate across the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.