Washington, United States. A fragile truce in the Middle East was in jeopardy on Tuesday after the U.S. and Iran launched new attacks as they wrestled for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. reports strikes after naval escorts announced
The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats, as well as cruise missiles and drones, after President Donald Trump sent the navy to escort stranded tankers through the strait in a campaign he called “Project Freedom”.
The U.S. military said two U.S. merchant ships made it through the strait, without saying when, with the support of Navy guided-missile destroyers.
Iran cites ceasefire breaches and denies some U.S. claims
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said in a social media post on Tuesday that the security of shipping and energy transit had been threatened by breaches of the four-week-old ceasefire by the U.S. and its allies.
Iran denied any crossings had taken place.
The commander of U.S. forces in the region said his fleet had destroyed six small Iranian boats, which Iran also denied. Iranian media quoted a military commander as saying U.S. forces targeted civilian boats, killing five civilians.
Shipping disruptions and reported attacks in the Gulf
The strait is a vital thoroughfare for global supplies of oil, fertiliser and other commodities that has been virtually closed since the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran on February 28, causing price rises around the world.
Several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires on Monday, and an oil port in the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a large U.S. military base, was set ablaze by Iranian missiles.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively closed the narrow waterway under threat of mines, drones, missiles and gunboats. The U.S. has responded with a blockade of Iranian ports.
Diplomacy and mediation efforts
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Monday’s events showed there was no military solution to the crisis. He said peace talks were progressing with Pakistan’s mediation, and warned the U.S. and the UAE against being drawn into a “quagmire.”
Maersk reports passage through the strait
While Iran denied any crossings had taken place, Maersk MAERSKb.CO said the Alliance Fairfax, a U.S.-flagged ship, exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz accompanied by the U.S. military on Monday.
How do you think renewed clashes in the Strait of Hormuz could affect global shipping and energy supplies?
