The United States military announced on Monday that two American-flagged merchant ships successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first major step in US President Donald Trump’s initiative to reopen the critical waterway.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the vessels were assisted by U.S. destroyers operating in the Gulf as part of “Project Freedom,” a plan designed to restore commercial traffic through the passage, which has been effectively closed by Iran since late February.
The successful transit comes amid a dangerous spike in regional tensions and a direct challenge to the four-week-old ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
Earlier on Monday, the Iranian military warned U.S. forces against entering the Strait and instructed all commercial ships to coordinate movements strictly with Iranian forces. The US also denied that Iran successfully hit a US Nav carrier.
In a further escalation, Admiral Brad Cooper reported that U.S. military helicopters sank six Iranian small boats that were targeting civilian vessels in the waterway.
Simultaneously, the United Arab Emirates condemned what it termed “treacherous Iranian aggression” after an Iranian drone sparked a fire at an oil facility in Fujairah, a vital pipeline hub.
This attack, which injured three people, coincided with reports from the British military of a cargo ship on fire off the coast of the Emirates. The UAE issued three separate missile alerts on Monday, its first since the ceasefire began, and stated it reserves the right to respond to these violations of its sovereignty.
While Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency claimed to have struck a U.S. Navy destroyer with two missiles near Jask, CENTCOM has flatly denied the report, stating that no U.S. Navy ships have been hit. Despite the successful passage of the two merchant ships, it remains uncertain how many shipping companies or insurers will be willing to brave the Strait, given Iran’s continued vows to target vessels in the area.