US Attacks Iranian-Linked Cargo Boats in Strait of Hormuz, Killing Five Civilians

A U.S. attack on Iranian-linked cargo boats in the Strait of Hormuz killed five civilians, according to Iranian media reports carried by Tasnim News Agency and echoed by state outlets.

“Iran-US clash over alleged warship attack in Strait of Hormuz Iran has accused the United States of killing five civilians in the Strait of Hormuz, saying its forces attacked passenger vessels in the waterway rather than boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as claimed”

Al Jazeera

Ratopati reported that Iran’s Tasnim news agency said “five civilians were killed in an attack by America on cargo boats,” while the U.S. military claimed it targeted six Iranian boats.

Al Jazeera

Muslim Network TV (MNTV) said Iran accused the United States of killing “at least five civilians after attacking two cargo boats in the Strait of Hormuz,” rejecting Washington’s claim that it targeted military vessels.

The incident was described as involving two small boats transporting civilian goods traveling from Khasab to Iran, with the Iranian military source quoted saying, “Instead of targeting IRGC speedboats, the United States, in a blatant crime, opened fire on two small boats carrying civilians’ goods,” adding that the attack killed five passengers.

TRT World similarly reported that Iranian media said “Five civilians were killed in a US strike on small cargo boats in the Strait of Hormuz,” citing Tasnim and a military source.

Multiple outlets also tied the episode to a broader maritime standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. and Iran have traded accusations over security and military activity.

The accounts diverged not only on who was targeted but also on how many boats were destroyed.

Ratopati said the U.S. military claimed to have targeted six Iranian boats, while U.S. Central Commander Brad Cooper told reporters that “Iranian boats were attacked by US helicopters” and that the U.S. “sank six Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Dunya News

Muslim Network TV reported that Adm. Brad Cooper had said American forces “sank several Iranian boats,” and it added that U.S. President Donald Trump later said as many as seven vessels had been destroyed.

Dunya News likewise stated that Cooper said CENTCOM forces had sunk six IRGC boats attempting to disrupt an escort mission, while President Donald Trump put the figure at seven.

In contrast, Iranian media outlets said no IRGC vessels were hit and that the U.S. struck civilian boats instead.

TRT World quoted a Tasnim military source saying that “Following the false claim by the US military that it had targeted 6 Iranian speedboats, since none of the IRGC combat vessels had been hit, an investigation was conducted into the nature of the claim from local sources.”

Iranian officials and media-linked sources used the incident to argue that the U.S. was escalating rather than securing maritime traffic.

“5 civilians killed in US attacks on cargo boats - Iranian media - Global Times WORLD / CROSS-BORDERS 5 civilians killed in US attacks on cargo boats - Iranian media By Xinhua Published: May 05, 2026 10:10 AM Updated: May 05, 2026 10:37 AM Five civilians were killed in US attacks on cargo boats, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Tuesday”

Global Times

Muslim Network TV quoted an Iranian military source saying the U.S. opened fire on “two small boats carrying civilians’ goods,” and it said Iran’s investigation found that “none of the vessels belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been hit.”

The same outlet said the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that a military probe concluded U.S. forces “had instead struck civilian boats, destroying them and causing casualties,” while adding that there was “no immediate comment from the U.S. military on the Iranian claims.”

Dunya News framed the episode as part of a wider dispute, saying Iran accused the United States of killing five civilians after allegedly attacking two small passenger boats traveling from Khasab, Oman to the Iranian coast.

Mehr News Agency attributed the U.S. actions to what it described as “hasty and clumsy” behavior driven by fear, quoting that the Americans acted due to the “inexplicable fear and nightmare.”

The Business Standard added that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the U.S. operation, referring to it as “Project Deadlock” and saying there was “no military solution to the crisis.”

U.S. statements, as relayed by the sources, portrayed the operation as targeting Iranian interference with escort missions and emphasized the use of helicopters and the destruction of Iranian boats.

Ratopati said the U.S. military claimed it targeted six Iranian boats and that U.S. Central Commander Brad Cooper said “Iranian boats were attacked by US helicopters,” while also stating the U.S. “sank six Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz.”

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The Business Standard reported that Admiral Brad Cooper said forces under US Central Command had sunk six vessels belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that were attempting to interfere with an operation to escort stranded commercial ships, and it added that Trump later said seven boats had been destroyed.

TRT World described CENTCOM’s account as saying “American helicopters were used to destroy ‘Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping,’” and it said CENTCOM also accused Iran of opening fire on U.S. warships and commercial vessels on Monday.

www.suryaa quoted Trump’s threat that if Iran targets US ships “they would be ‘blown off the face of the Earth.’”

The sources also described U.S. efforts to secure transit, with www.suryaa reporting that “two US Navy destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf.”

The incident was reported as occurring amid a fragile ceasefire and a wider escalation around the Strait of Hormuz, with multiple sources linking it to “Project Freedom” and to economic and diplomatic pressures.

“The source refuted the US claims of having targeted speedboats belonging to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), saying, "Instead of targeting IRGC speedboats, the United States, in a blatant crime, opened fire on two small boats carrying civilians’ goods”

Mehr News Agency

Muslim Network TV said the incident came “amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf” following the launch of “Project Freedom,” and it said a fragile ceasefire brokered in April “has come under increasing strain.”

Mehr News Agency

Dunya News similarly said the escalation comes amid “Project Freedom,” a U.S. operation aimed at reopening the Strait after its effective closure by Iran following US and Israeli strikes on February 28, and it said the move raised concerns about the stability of a fragile ceasefire agreed on April 8.

The Business Standard added that the confrontation strained the fragile ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran on 8 April and described Iran’s closure of the waterway after US and Israeli strikes on 28 Feb as contributing to rising oil and fertiliser prices.

SWI swissinfo.ch broadened the regional picture by reporting that the United Arab Emirates said it had come under Iranian attacks as an American operation began in the Strait of Hormuz, and it said the UAE’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks as “a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable aggression.”

It also reported that “About 20,000 sailors are stranded in the area,” and that Brent crude rose to $113.93 per barrel.