‘Iran fought a heroic battle’: US disaster in Strait of Hormuz detailed

An advisor to the speaker of the Iranian parliament has provided a detailed account of a joint operation by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy and the Army Navy, which led to a humiliating military defeat for the United States in the Persian Gulf.

In an audio statement posted on his Telegram channel on Thursday, Mehdi Mohammadi said the defeat in the early hours of May 6 forced US President Donald Trump to abruptly halt his so-called "Project Freedom."

Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz to enemies and their allies following the launch on February 28 of the unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic, Mohammadi said.

He said Iran began exercising far stricter controls last month after Trump announced the inhumane blockade of Iranian vessels and ports.

According to Mohammadi, on Monday the United States launched the so-called Project Freedom supposedly aimed at forcibly reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Two days later, however, the US was forced to stop its military campaign at the strategic waterway amid Iran's steadfast resilience against American piracy and threats to maritime security.

"That night, from midnight until dawn, we fought a heroic battle in defense of the Strait of Hormuz," Mohammadi said. "The IRGC Navy and the Army Navy fought side by side until morning."

He added that the US had created a large airborne surveillance umbrella over the Strait of Hormuz and attempted to move a significant number of combat vessels from the Sea of Oman into the strait and then into the Persian Gulf.

The advisor to the parliament speaker stated that the ensuing engagement turned into a major military disaster for the United States, and that US forces suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the IRGC Navy.

"Four of their vessels were effectively disabled," he said. "Two of their vessels that tried to take shelter behind Abu Musa Island ran aground on coastal rocks."

Mohammadi noted that the US had entered the confrontation seeking to achieve a victory and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz but suffered a catastrophic military defeat instead.

"At 5 a.m., Trump was forced to tweet that he was halting Project Freedom," he said.

He added that any reasonable person would understand that no diplomatic event took place at 5 a.m. or midnight in Islamabad, calling Trump's explanation on the matter a falsehood.

"The reality is that they intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by military means, but they failed," Mohammadi wrote.

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