In the early morning hours of March 31, 2026, the USS Whirlwind, a Cyclone-class patrol craft, was conducting a routine maritime security patrol in the Central Persian Gulf.

At approximately 2:49 a.m., the tranquility of the mission was shattered when an Iranian IRGC fast attack boat fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) directly at the vessel.

The RPG struck the forward deck, igniting a fire that rapidly spread toward the ready ammunition locker.

This incident was not merely an isolated attack; it was a calculated ambush that unfolded over an 11-minute period, during which the Iranian boat had maintained a parallel course with the Whirlwind, masquerading as a commercial fishing vessel.

The initial contact with the Iranian boat had been logged and classified as a probable fishing vessel, as it appeared on the radar at 2:38 a.m.