US Central Command rejects three Iranian claims over Strait of Hormuz, base attack, tanker

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) denied three claims issued by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) through Iranian state media in recent hours, it said in a post on X. CENTCOM rejected the IRGC's assertion that free and open waterways in the Strait of Hormuz posed a danger to commercial vessels, stating that direct threats to commercial ships and their crews originated from the IRGC's verbal harassment and attacks. Responding to a second claim, CENTCOM said no U.S. aircraft were destroyed or damaged in the latest Iranian attack attempts, and that all missiles and drones launched were intercepted or downed before reaching their target areas. The IRGC had alleged that it destroyed three F-35 stealth fighter jets and three other aircraft in a recent strike on a U.S. air base. On a third claim, CENTCOM rejected Iranian state media assertions that the commercial oil tanker "Nura" had broken a U.S. blockade, saying the vessel had not done so. It added that more than 20 U.S. warships, hundreds of aircraft and thousands of troops continue to enforce the blockade in full. The denial comes after the IRGC said it struck Azraq Air Base in Jordan with ballistic missiles and destroyed three F-35s. The Jordanian army reported that five missiles from Iran were intercepted by air defense systems. No further details were immediately available.