New Delhi, May 4 -- American forces neutralized half a dozen Iranian small boats and downed several cruise missiles and drones launched by Tehran as the Pentagon initiated a mission to secure maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of Central Command, announced Monday.

Cooper "strongly advised" Iranian personnel to maintain their distance from US military hardware throughout the ongoing maneuvers.

Additionally, he confirmed that the US-led blockade of Iran-restricting all vessels from entering or exiting Iranian ports-is still being enforced and has currently surpassed its projected effectiveness.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from MINT....