Iran fires missiles at US warship near Jask; Pentagon denies hit
Last updated: 12:05 UTC, May 04 2026 | Started: 2026-05-04 04:16 | 2 update(s) | Avg confidence: 70/100
The story so far: The 2026 Iran war began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched nearly 900 strikes in 12 hours on Iranian military sites and leadership, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with missile and drone barrages across the Middle East and closed the Strait of Hormuz, halting most commercial shipping through the world's most critical oil chokepoint. A ceasefire paused US airstrikes from April 7, but Iran's blockade of the strait has continued, with Pakistan mediating fragile talks on a permanent settlement.
Latest Updates
2026-05-04 12:05 — Iran fires missiles at US warship near Jask; Pentagon denies hit
Iran's navy announced it had prevented 'American-Zionist' warships from entering the Strait of Hormuz by issuing a 'swift and decisive warning,' Iranian state television reported on May 4, 2026. Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency separately said two missiles struck a US warship near the port of Jask at the southern entrance to the strait, where Iran's navy maintains a base. Reuters reported it could not independently verify the claims.
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2026-05-04 04:16 — US forces strike Bandar Abbas again as Iran war enters new phase
US Central Command confirmed strikes on ammunition bunkers at the 9th Artesh Air Force Tactical Airbase in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province on March 25, 2026, with CENTCOM footage showing at least four strikes followed by large secondary explosions, according to Critical Threats Project/ISW.
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What We Know
- US Central Command confirmed strikes on ammunition bunkers at the 9th Artesh Air Force Tactical Airbase in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province on March 25, 2026, with CENTCOM footage showing at least four strikes followed by large secondary explosions, according to Critical Threats Project/ISW.
- Satellite imagery from Planet Labs, published March 2, 2026, showed ships ablaze at Bandar Abbas's main Iranian military port, with the IRINS Makran sea-base ship on fire following US-Israeli strikes, as reported by The War Zone and AP.
- The Israeli military announced on March 26 that IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri was killed in a strike near Bandar Abbas; this was later confirmed by the IRGC itself, according to Al Jazeera.
- IRGC-affiliated media reported on March 23 that IRGC 1st Naval District Commander Mosayeb Bakhtiari was also killed in a strike in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, per Critical Threats Project/ISW.
- A US naval blockade of Iran's entire coastline, including Bandar Abbas, took effect on April 13, 2026, under CENTCOM Admiral Brad Cooper, with over 10,000 US personnel and more than a dozen warships enforcing it in the first 24 hours, according to Wikipedia's blockade timeline.
- Iran's navy announced it had prevented 'American-Zionist' warships from entering the Strait of Hormuz by issuing a 'swift and decisive warning,' Iranian state television reported on May 4, 2026. Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency separately said two missiles struck a US warship near the port of Jask at the southern entrance to the strait, where Iran's navy maintains a base. Reuters reported it could not independently verify the claims.
- A senior US official denied to Axios journalist Barak Ravid that any US military ship was hit by Iranian missiles, making the strike claim unverified and directly contested between the two governments.
- The incident occurred hours after President Trump announced Operation Project Freedom on Truth Social, pledging to 'guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways' for countries whose vessels are stranded in the Gulf — a mission backed by 15,000 CENTCOM personnel, 100-plus aircraft, warships, and drones, according to CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper.
- Iran had explicitly warned the US not to send armed forces near the Strait, with its military stating: 'Any foreign armed force, especially the aggressive US army, will be attacked if they attempt to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz.' Tehran also declared its Hormuz control zone extends as far as Fujairah in the UAE.
- UK Maritime Trade Operations reported separately that a vessel 78 nautical miles north of Fujairah reported being hit by 'unknown projectiles,' though crew were said to be safe — a detail that adds a second, unattributed incident to the picture around the strait on the same day.
Still Unclear
- Iranian Foreign Ministry / Iran International: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated the Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels except those of the US, Israel, and their allies.
US Central Command (CENTCOM): US CENTCOM declared a full naval blockade encompassing 'the entirety of the Iranian coastline,' warning any vessel entering or departing without authorisation is subject to interception, diversion, and capture.
- President Donald Trump: Trump claimed 158 Iranian naval vessels had been destroyed, leaving only small high-speed attack boats operational.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) via Wikipedia timeline: CENTCOM's own figures as of early March stated the US had damaged or destroyed at least 50 Iranian vessels, and cumulatively 19 ships and 1 submarine by a later point in the war.
- (Unverified — single source | state media only) Iran's IRGC Navy blew up 10 commercial vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz and hit one other vessel near Port Muscat. [IRGCN NEDSA Navy statement via Wikipedia timeline]
- (Unverified — opposition-affiliated source | not independently corroborated) Opposition-linked sources and eyewitnesses put the death toll from the April 26, 2025 Rajaei port explosion as high as 250–500, far exceeding the official revised figure of 57. [National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) / Simaye Azadi]
- Iran's Fars News Agency, citing local sources; Iranian state television: Two Iranian missiles struck a US warship near Jask Island after it ignored repeated warnings, forcing it to turn back and flee the area.
Senior US official, via Axios reporter Barak Ravid: No US military vessel was struck by Iranian missiles in the Strait of Hormuz.
- (Unverified — state media only — single Iranian state-linked source; US government flatly denies; not independently corroborated) The US warship was unable to continue its route and 'was forced to turn back and flee the area' after being struck by two missiles. [Iran's Fars News Agency]
- (Unverified — single source; no attribution of the attack; vessel and flag not identified) A vessel 78 nautical miles north of Fujairah was struck by unknown projectiles on May 4, though crew are safe. [UK Maritime Trade Operations]
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Iranian vessels damaged or destroyed by US forces since February 28, 2026 | 100+ (per CENTCOM as of early March); Trump claimed 158 total | US Central Command (CENTCOM); President Donald Trump |
| US personnel enforcing the naval blockade in first 24 hours (from April 13) | 10,000+ personnel, 12+ warships | US Central Command (CENTCOM) |
| Share of world seaborne oil passing through Strait of Hormuz | ~20% | RFE/RL Radio Farda / Al Jazeera |
| Death toll from April 26, 2025 Shahid Rajaei port explosion (official revised figure) | 57 killed, 1,000+ injured | Head of Hormozgan Judiciary, Mojtaba Ghahremani / Iran International |
| Iranian airbases struck by US-Israeli combined force since February 28 | 11 out of 17 Artesh Air Force tactical airbases | Critical Threats Project / ISW, March 10 update |
| Current Strait of Hormuz monthly vessel traffic as share of pre-war level | ~5% (approx. 150 of ~3,000 vessels per month) | UK House of Commons Library research briefing, May 2026 |
| Share of global petroleum transiting Strait of Hormuz annually | ~20% | UK House of Commons Library research briefing, May 2026 |
| CENTCOM personnel assigned to Project Freedom escort mission | 15,000 | CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, statement reported by Reuters |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Bandar Abbas so important in the Iran-US war?
Bandar Abbas hosts Iran's main naval headquarters and sits directly on the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world's seaborne oil passes. It is the hub from which Iran could mine the strait or deploy swarm boats, making it a primary target for US-Israeli strikes aiming to neutralise Iran's ability to close this global energy chokepoint.
What is the current status of the US naval blockade of Iran?
A full US naval blockade of Iran's coastline took effect on April 13, 2026, after ceasefire talks in Islamabad collapsed. CENTCOM warned any vessel entering or leaving without authorisation faces interception and capture. On April 19, the USS Spruance fired on and seized the Iranian cargo ship Touska en route to Bandar Abbas for defying the blockade, per Reuters and Wikipedia.
What caused the massive explosion at Bandar Abbas port in April 2025?
The April 26, 2025 explosion at the Shahid Rajaei port, which killed at least 57 people and injured over 1,000, is believed by security analysts and an IRGC-linked New York Times source to have originated from sodium perchlorate — a solid rocket fuel component — improperly stored in containers. Iran's Defence Ministry denied any military cargo was present. Two managers have been arrested.
What is Operation Project Freedom and why did Iran react?
Trump announced Project Freedom on May 4, pledging to escort stranded commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz using 15,000 US military personnel and over 100 aircraft. Iran, which has controlled strait access since closing it during the February 28 war outbreak, called the mission a ceasefire violation and threatened to attack any US forces that entered the waterway.
Is the US-Iran ceasefire still holding after this incident?
Officially yes — neither government has declared the ceasefire broken. However, the April 7 ceasefire explicitly paused US strikes, while the Hormuz blockade has continued. The disputed Jask incident and Iran's threat to fire on US naval assets are the most direct military confrontation since the ceasefire began, putting its durability under severe pressure.
What happens to oil prices and global shipping if the strait stays closed?
The strait is already operating at roughly 5% of pre-war traffic, handling about 20% of global petroleum in normal times. Any confirmed Iranian missile strike on a US warship would likely spike oil prices further, deepen inflationary pressure on major importers, and could trigger US military action targeting Iran's coastal defense batteries, which CNN reported remain largely intact.
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