Iran opened fire on U.S. warships in the Middle East on Monday and the U.S. military retaliated, destroying six Iranian small boats, according to U.S. Central Command (Centcom) leader Adm. Brad Cooper. 

The U.S. military intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones as the Trump administration launched an effort to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively choked off in recent weeks, Cooper said in a call with reporters Monday. 

Cooper told reporters that he “strongly advised” Iran to steer clear of U.S. military assets as the Pentagon proceeds with the Project Freedom and that the U.S. naval blockade, which bars vessels departing from Iranian ports from leaving the region, will remain in effect. 

Multiple U.S. Navy destroyers are positioned in the Persian Gulf, Cooper said, adding that the U.S. has cleared an “effective pathway” through Iran’s mines for commercial ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. 

The vessels in the Persian Gulf represent 87 different countries, Cooper said. He added that the U.S. military has reached out to dozens of ships and shipping companies in the last 12 hours to “encourage traffic flow” through the Strait of Hormuz as part of President Trump’s Project Freedom.