U.S. Navy destroys 6-7 Iranian boats after Iran attacks American warships in Strait of Hormuz

Iranian forces attacked U.S. Navy warships USS Truxtun and USS Mason with small boats, missiles, and drones as they transited the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, 2026, prompting U.S. forces to destroy six Iranian boats with helicopter support. The engagement occurred during Project Freedom, a Trump administration operation to escort commercial vessels through the strait, and violated an early April 2026 ceasefire between the two nations. Iran simultaneously launched 12 ballistic missiles and drones at the UAE, causing three injuries and damaging civilian infrastructure, while UAE air defenses have intercepted 549 ballistic missiles and 2,260 drones since the conflict began. The confrontation raises legal questions about the 1973 War Powers Resolution, as Congress has not authorized military force and President Trump told Congress hostilities had terminated with the ceasefire, yet he threatens Iran will be "blown off the face of the Earth" for targeting U.S. ships while calling the naval blockade "the greatest military maneuver in history."

U.S. Naval Operations and Iranian Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz

• ▪Iran launched 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones at the United Arab Emirates on May 4, 2026
• ▪Two foreign nationals suffered moderate injuries when a residential building in Oman's Musandam Peninsula was targeted by an attack on May 4, 2026
• ▪Three people suffered moderate injuries in the Iranian missile and drone attack on the United Arab Emirates on May 4, 2026
• ▪Two U.S.-flagged commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, 2026, under Project Freedom
• ▪A fire broke out at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the United Arab Emirates following suspected Iranian missile and drone attacks on May 4, 2026
• ▪U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets launched from USS Abraham Lincoln to support Project Freedom on May 4, 2026

Diplomatic Responses and Ceasefire Efforts

• ▪China and Russia vetoed a similar U.S. Security Council resolution on Iran hours before a temporary ceasefire was announced in early April 2026
• ▪Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on May 4, 2026, that talks with the U.S. are making progress with Pakistan's mediation effort
• ▪Saudi Arabia called for de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East after Iran and the United States traded fire on May 4, 2026

Trump Administration's Legal and Political Positioning on the Conflict

• ▪President Trump announced Project Freedom on May 3, 2026, an operation for the U.S. military to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz
• ▪The Trump administration's position is that the U.S. operation against Iran, which began in late February 2026, is legally justified as a response to a threat posed by Iranian forces
• ▪President Trump told Fox News on May 4, 2026, that Iran will be blown off the face of the Earth if Iran targets U.S. ships in the Strait of Hormuz
• ▪President Trump told Congress that hostilities with Iran had terminated because of the ceasefire struck in early April 2026
• ▪President Trump said in March 2026 that he didn't like using the word war because you're supposed to get approval
• ▪The 1973 War Powers Resolution requires the president to end hostilities that aren't approved by Congress within 60 days
• ▪President Trump called the U.S.-Iran conflict a mini war on May 4, 2026
• ▪Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine were scheduled to brief reporters at the Pentagon on May 5, 2026, about the Iran conflict

Perspective of Saudi Arabia

• ▪Saudi Arabia advocates for de-escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict following the May 4, 2026 military engagement