WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump said American forces struck seven Iranian “fast boats” in the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington moves to escort stranded vessels through the heavily restricted shipping route.
On Monday, both the United Arab Emirates and South Korea reported attacks on ships in the vital corridor, while the UAE also confirmed a fire at the Fujairah oil terminal following an Iranian strike.
Shipping giant Maersk told the BBC that one of its US-flagged vessels successfully exited the strait under US military protection as part of what Trump has described as “Project Freedom.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi argued that the situation demonstrates there is no military solution to the crisis, criticizing the US initiative as ineffective. “Project Freedom is Project Deadlock,” he said.
Maersk confirmed that the vessel completed its transit safely, with all crew members unharmed.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained largely disrupted since US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran in February, prompting Tehran to restrict passage through the route, which typically handles about 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Although a ceasefire was announced in early April, maritime traffic has yet to fully recover, with both sides maintaining restrictions.
Trump stated that US forces had destroyed seven small Iranian vessels, while the US military said helicopters were used in the operation. Iran denied the strikes, just as it rejected earlier US claims that American warships and merchant vessels had safely navigated the strait. Tehran instead said it had issued warning fire toward a US vessel—an assertion the US also dismissed.
Later, Maersk reported that its vessel Alliance Fairfax, which had been stranded in the Gulf since late February, was able to leave the area with US naval escort, marking a rare successful transit amid ongoing tensions.
(Inputs from BBC)
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