In one of the most shocking reversals in modern history of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC Navy) unexpectedly surrounded and completely seized control of a major US warship in less than 40 minutes.
According to video released by the IRGC (and which has spread rapidly on social media), the high-speed task force “Ashura Swift,” using more than 30 unmanned surface vessels (USVs) combined with kamikaze drones and short-range cruise missiles, approached from multiple directions, disabling the radar and defensive weapons systems of the USS “Thunderbolt”—an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer escorting an oil tanker.
The footage shows Iranian marines in desert camouflage quickly climbing onto the US ship’s deck using rope ladders and nets, while the US soldiers on board were caught by surprise and unable to react. The commander of the American ship ordered the surrender after receiving a warning from Tehran that any resistance would result in the ship being immediately sunk by hundreds of missiles aimed from the Iranian coast.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (in an emergency address at 3 a.m.) declared:
“This is not just a military victory. This is a clear message to Washington: The Strait of Hormuz is not anyone’s backyard. Anyone who wants to pᴀss through must ask permission from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Currently, the entire American crew (approximately 320 people) are being held hostage by Iran on the very ship they once commanded. The USS Thunderbolt has been towed to Bandar Abbas port under the flying Iranian flag.
The Pentagon has not issued an official comment, but an anonymous source in the US Department of Defense described the event as “the biggest intelligence shock since Pearl Harbor.” The US President is currently convening an emergency meeting of the National Security Council.
The whole world is holding its breath. The oil market surged 28% in just two hours after the news broke. Israel declared it was “ready to act,” while Russia and China called for “maximum restraint.”
