Fact Check: Did Iran’s IRGC really strike two US Navy destroyers in the Middle East?

WASHINGTON, DC: As the six-month US-Iran conflict intensifies around the Strait of Hormuz, a claim that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck two US Navy destroyers has spread online. The claim comes amid a sharp rise in military tensions in the region, with Iran targeting vessels and the US carrying out strikes on Iranian oil tankers. Did the IRGC really strike two US Navy destroyers?

Claim: IRGC claims it struck two US Navy destroyers

It is unclear where the rumor originated, but an X user posted what they claimed was breaking news. 

The user wrote, "BREAKING: Iran’s IRGC claims it struck two US Navy destroyers, DDG-119 and DDG-53, saying the attacks caused “significant damage” in response to US actions against Iranian oil tankers." 

The post included a graphic with the caption, "Iran's IRGC claims missile strikes on US combat destroyers."

Another X user shared the claim and asked, "Iran’s IRGC claims it struck two US Navy destroyers, DDG-119 and DDG-53 @GROK, is this confirmed by any sources other than the IRGC?"

A third user also posted about the incident, writing, "Following two ballistic missile attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against a US Navy warship over the past two days, US forces carried out overnight strikes against five Iranian crude oil carriers." 

The post added, "The US has denied claims by the IRGC that the warship was damaged in last night's attack."

Fact Check: False, CENTCOM has denied the claim

The claim is false. According to the official X account of US Central Command (CENTCOM), no US Navy warship was struck by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and all of the IRGC's attempted attacks failed.

CENTCOM also said, "Meanwhile, U.S. forces have successfully destroyed 10 Iranian tankers in just the last week. These vessels were part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC, and Iran cannot defend them."

On Tuesday, September 8, US forces destroyed five Iranian tankers after Iran attempted to attack a US Navy warship with missiles. The incident marked the latest exchange of attacks between the two countries.

Separately, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia set several oil facilities on fire and injured dozens of people. The attacks increased tensions between the US ally and the Iran-backed group amid renewed fighting in the region.

Meanwhile, the British government said it would ban goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israel responded by saying it would close the British consulate in Jerusalem.