"We have an enormous amount of capability and firepower concentrated in and around the strait," Navy Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters, and "AH-64 Apache and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters" were used "just this morning to eliminate six Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping." The CENTCOM commander framed those strikes as part of Project Freedom, the newly announced U.S. effort to restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Adm. Brad Cooper on Project Freedom
In a May 4 briefing, Navy Adm. Brad Cooper described Project Freedom as a multi-layered defensive operation. He said U.S. forces are employing "U.S. ballistic missile defense-capable destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms — meaning under the sea, on the sea, and from the air — and then 15,000 service members" to extend a protective umbrella across the Strait of Hormuz. Cooper listed a range of available air and naval assets, including AH-64 Apaches, MH-60 Seahawks, A-10s, F-15s, F-16s, F/A-18s, F-35s, EA-18 Growlers, RC-135s, KC-46s, KC-135s, multiple destroyers, two carrier strike groups, an amphibious readiness group, and a Marine Expeditionary Unit.
AH-64 Apaches and MH-60 Seahawks sink six Iranian small boats
Cooper confirmed that U.S. Army AH-64 Apache and U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopters destroyed six small Iranian boats that were "threatening commercial ships" in and around the Strait of Hormuz. He described the engagements as defensive, saying the munitions used were "very effective" but declined to detail specific weapons or tactics. CENTCOM also stated that cruise missiles and drones had been launched against both U.S. Navy ships and commercial vessels, and that those threats were defeated.
The reporting also notes the operational logic behind using armed helicopters for counter–small-boat missions: helicopters can launch from forward bases or ships, stay on station, fly slow and low to identify and attack moving small targets, and provide a flexible, outer layer of force protection that complements shipboard defenses. The article notes new munitions such as APKWS II rockets increase helicopters’ capability to engage boat swarms.
Iranian strikes, competing claims, and CENTCOM's account
CENTCOM said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched "multiple cruise missiles, drones, [and] small boats" aimed at U.S. ships and the commercial traffic Project Freedom is protecting. CENTCOM asserted "we defended both ourselves and, consistent with our commitment, we defended all those commercial ships," and added that no U.S. military ship had been hit and no U.S.-flagged ship had been struck.
By contrast, Iranian state media claimed the IRGC hit a U.S. warship with two missiles; CENTCOM labeled that claim false. Cooper declined to adjudicate whether the recent incidents meant a ceasefire was over, saying only that the mission is defensive and would respond "consistent with the president’s direction."
Regional responses: UAE air defenses, airspace closure, and diplomatic notes
The UAE Ministry of Defense reported its air defenses "engaged 12 ballistic missiles, 3 cruise missiles, and 4 UAV’s launched from Iran, resulting in 3 moderate injuries." Its statement also gave cumulative figures since the start of what it called "blatant Iranian attacks": 549 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,260 UAVs engaged. The UAE partially closed its airspace for one week effective May 4 through May 11 under NOTAM A1722/26, restricting commercial traffic to narrow corridors and waypoints.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry "strongly condemns the renewed Iranian attacks targeting civilian sites and facilities in the sisterly United Arab Emirates" and called the strikes a "blatant violation" of UAE sovereignty. Iran's foreign minister, Sayyed Abbas Araghchi, accused Project Freedom of threatening ongoing peace talks and called it "Project Deadlock." An Iranian military source told Iranian TV that Tehran had no prior plan to attack Emirati facilities and blamed U.S. actions for provoking events.
What this means for commercial shipping, U.S. forces, and the UAE
- Commercial shipping and carriers: CENTCOM said vessels in the Arabian Gulf represent 87 countries and reported outreach to "dozens of ships and shipping companies" to encourage movement through the Strait. Cooper said ships are beginning to move and that U.S. forces used "low-observable capability" and U.S.-flagged ships as examples to validate a clear transit lane.
- U.S. military planners and forces: CENTCOM has positioned layered assets — destroyers, carrier strike groups, aviation, unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members — to provide defensive coverage. Cooper emphasized a layered defensive arrangement rather than single-ship escorts and warned the U.S. will "react forcefully" if Project Freedom is interfered with.
- United Arab Emirates authorities: The UAE is operating active air defenses, has restricted its airspace for a week, and is treating the Fujairah attack as under its national jurisdiction while coordinating with partners, per Cooper and official UAE statements.
The rapid sequence of helicopter strikes, missile and drone barrages, diplomatic rebukes, and an airspace closure crystallize the immediate impact of Project Freedom. CENTCOM says it has cleared a transit path and repelled attacks; Iranian outlets and regional statements present rival narratives. As Adm. Cooper put it, he would not "go into detail of whether the ceasefire is over or not" — leaving the political and military trajectory of the Strait of Hormuz a live question.
