Three U.S. Navy destroyers — USS Truxtun, USS Mason, and USS Rafael Peralta — came under a second, fiercer Iranian assault while transiting the Strait of Hormuz Thursday, U.S. Central Command confirmed. Iranian forces deployed missiles, drones, and fast-attack boat swarms close enough that American warships opened five-inch naval guns, CIWS close-in weapons systems, deck gun teams, and Apache helicopters firing Hellfire missiles. The U.S. military responded by striking Iranian drone and missile launch sites. No American casualties or ship damage reported as of publication.
This is the second engagement in days. Monday's attack on the Truxtun and Mason was described by officials as a sustained barrage; Thursday's was worse. U.S. officials briefed CBS News anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly — meaning Congress and the public are still operating on background-source readouts.
The operational picture: Iran is probing escalation thresholds in real time. The war powers question — who authorized offensive strikes on Iranian territory — is now live and unanswered.