BREAKING WORLD· MAY 5, 2026

Trump’s “Project Freedom” naval push was supposed to break Iran’s grip on global shipping. Instead, it triggered a firefight — and may have put a fragile ceasefire on life support.

6 Iranian boats destroyed by U.S.

15,000 U.S. service members deployed

230+ oil tankers stranded in Gulf

When President Trump announced “Project Freedom” on Sunday, the pitch was straightforward: the U.S. Navy would guide commercial ships — many of them stuck in the Persian Gulf for two months — safely through the Strait of Hormuz and back into the global economy. By Monday morning, it had turned into a shooting war.

CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper confirmed that U.S. forces destroyed six Iranian small boats that were threatening commercial ships in the strait, while also intercepting drones and cruise missiles launched by Iran. Apache and Seahawk helicopters were used to sink the vessels. “We have defeated each and every one of those threats,” Cooper told reporters.