Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that its forces carried out ballistic missile strikes against two US Navy destroyers, alleging that the attacks caused significant damage to both vessels.
The claim was reported by Iranian state media in a statement attributed to the IRGC’s aerospace forces.
DDG-119 and DDG-53 Identified as Targets
According to the IRGC statement, the two ships targeted were DDG-119 and DDG-53, both described by Iranian authorities as warships equipped with Aegis air-defense systems and cruise missiles.
The IRGC said the strikes were conducted as part of a military operation, but the statement did not provide details on the number of missiles launched, the location of the attack or the circumstances surrounding the alleged impact.
Iran Claims Significant Damage
Iranian authorities said the ballistic missile strikes inflicted significant damage on the two destroyers.
However, the claim has not been independently verified, and the information provided by the IRGC did not include evidence detailing the extent of the alleged damage or whether there were casualties aboard the vessels.
There was also no immediate independent confirmation of the reported strikes from US authorities in the information cited by TASS.
Claim Raises Stakes in US-Iran Confrontation
If confirmed, a successful ballistic missile attack causing substantial damage to two US Navy destroyers would represent a major escalation in direct military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
The Aegis-equipped vessels are designed to detect and respond to a range of aerial and missile threats, making the IRGC’s claim particularly significant.
For now, however, the reported attack remains an Iranian military claim pending confirmation from US officials or independent sources.
