By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali
WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones fired by Tehran as it sought to thwart a new U.S. naval effort to open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump launched the operation, called Project Freedom, on Monday as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran after it effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel started the conflict on February 28.