Washington, United States. The United States and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf on Monday as they competed for control over the Strait of Hormuz with duelling maritime blockades, shaking a fragile truce. The strikes followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of “Project Freedom” to help stranded ships move through the vital energy-trade chokepoint.
New attacks and reported damage
Several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires on Monday, according to the United States. The U.S. military said it destroyed six small Iranian military boats, which Iran denied.
An oil port in the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a large U.S. military base, was set ablaze by Iranian missiles, according to the report.
Trump’s “Project Freedom” and congressional authorization dispute
Trump gave few details about “Project Freedom” when he announced it on social media, two days after a legal deadline under U.S. law had passed for him to obtain authorization from Congress for the war. Trump told Congress the war was “terminated” and that the deadline was moot, a claim disputed by some lawmakers.
The move was described as the first apparent attempt to use military force since last month’s ceasefire announcement to unblock the shipping route, which Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said can only happen with its permission. Shipping insurance costs have surged, and for weeks the U.S. Navy has blockaded Iran’s trade by sea, which Iran says is an act of war.
Iran warns of escalation as shipping firms hold back
The effort initially appeared to bring no surge in merchant ship traffic while prompting a promised show of force from Iran. Iran has threatened to respond to any escalation with new attacks on neighbours hosting U.S. soldiers, and major shipping companies said they were likely to wait for an agreed end to hostilities before attempting to cross the strait.
Iran’s 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, while warning the U.S. and the UAE against being drawn into a “quagmire by ill-wishers.”
“Project Freedom is Project Deadlock,” he wrote on social media.
Conflicting accounts on ship crossings and naval actions
The U.S. military said two U.S. merchant ships made it through the strait, without saying when, with support from Navy guided-missile destroyers. Iran denied any crossings had taken place in recent hours.
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.
The commander of U.S. forces in the region said his fleet had destroyed six small Iranian boats, a claim Iran also denied. Admiral Brad Cooper said he “strongly advised” Iranian forces to keep clear of U.S. military assets carrying out the mission.
How do you think the latest escalation will affect commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz?