The US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) launched Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles as part of self-defense strikes against targets in Iran on June 10, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
Acting on orders from the Commander in Chief, CENTCOM forces conducted additional strikes against multiple Iranian military targets, including surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites.CENTCOM released a video showing the destroyer firing the missiles.
The operation involved US Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy assets employing precision-guided munitions against targets assessed to pose a threat to US forces and international commercial shipping in regional waters.
CENTCOM stated that the strikes were carried out in response to what it described as Iran’s continued aggression. The command added that US forces remain prepared to conduct further operations if required.
USS Michael Murphy, a 155.5-meter guided-missile destroyer, is designed to operate in complex air, surface and subsurface threat environments. The warship is the final Flight IIA variant of the Arleigh Burke class and was launched by Bath Iron Works in 2011 and commissioned in 2012.
The destroyer is named in honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a US Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during combat operations in Afghanistan. Murphy became the first service member to receive the nation’s highest military decoration for actions in Afghanistan and the first member of the US Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War.
The vessel has been active in recent US operations in the region. According to CENTCOM, USS Michael Murphy and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. transited the Strait of Hormuz on April 11 to begin operations intended to establish conditions for a broader mine-clearance campaign.
The June 10 strikes occurred amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing US maritime enforcement operations. On the same day, US forces disabled the Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker M/T Jalveer in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly attempted to transport Iranian oil in violation of a US-enforced blockade.
CENTCOM said US forces have disabled nine non-compliant vessels, redirected 135 ships and permitted 42 humanitarian aid vessels to transit since the blockade began on April 13.
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