The allegation, made on Tuesday, contradicts a statement by US Admiral Brad Cooper, who said Central Command forces had sunk six IRGC boats that tried to disrupt a US mission escorting stranded ships through the Strait
Iran has accused the United States of killing five civilians in the Strait of Hormuz, saying US forces attacked passenger boats rather than vessels belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as Washington had claimed.
The allegation, made on Tuesday, contradicts a statement by US Admiral Brad Cooper, who said Central Command forces had sunk six IRGC boats that tried to disrupt a US mission escorting stranded ships through the Strait.
US President Donald Trump later said seven boats were destroyed.
The US operation, known as “Project Freedom,” has shaken a fragile ceasefire agreed between Iran and the United States on April 8, raising fears of renewed conflict.
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB quoted an unnamed military commander as saying an investigation was launched after the US claims.
According to the report, none of the IRGC vessels were hit. Instead, it found that US forces had attacked two small boats carrying civilians traveling from Khasab, on Oman’s coast, to Iran on Monday.
The commander said the boats were destroyed and five civilian passengers were killed, adding that the United States “must be held accountable” for the incident.
There was no immediate response from the US military.
The incident comes as Trump pushes to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blockaded following US and Israeli strikes on the country on February 28.
The closure of the key shipping route through which about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil passes has driven up global oil and fertilizer prices, increasing concerns about a potential global recession and a worsening food crisis.
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