U.S. denies Iran struck a military vessel during new effort to reopen Strait of Hormuz

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The U.S. military on Monday denied claims that Iran struck a Navy vessel as U.S. forces now offer to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds have been stuck since the Iran war began. Tehran over the past two months has attacked some vessels and blocked others that don’t receive its authorization.

Iranian news agencies, including the semiofficial Fars and the Iranian Labour News Agency, claimed that Iran struck a U.S. vessel near an Iranian port southeast of the strait, accusing it of “violating maritime security and navigation norms.” The reports said the vessel was forced to turn back.

The U.S. Central Command said on social media that “no U.S. Navy ships have been struck.”

The U.S. military has said the new initiative, announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday, might involve guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members but has not specified what kind of assistance it would provide. The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center has advised ships to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying it set up an “enhanced security area.”

It was unclear whether any vessels were attempting to cross the strait, or whether shipping companies, and their insurers, will feel comfortable taking the risk given that Iran has fired on ships in the waterway and vowed to keep doing so.

Iran has responded to the new U.S. effort by calling it a violation of the fragile ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks.

Iran’s control of traffic through the crucial artery for a significant amount of the world’s oil and gas supplies has proved a strategic advantage in its war with the U.S. and Israel, allowing Tehran to inflict tremendous pain on the global economy despite being outgunned on the battlefield.

Trump warns of ‘forceful’ response if Iran interferes

Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would “guide” ships out of the strait warned that Iranian efforts to block them “will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”

He described “Project Freedom” in humanitarian terms, designed to aid stranded seafarers, many on oil tankers or cargo ships, who have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the war began. Crews have described to The Associated Press seeing drones and missiles explode over the waters as their vessels run low on drinking water, food and other supplies.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency called Trump’s “Project Freedom” part of his “delirium.”

Iran’s military command on Monday said ships passing must coordinate with them.

“We warn that any foreign military force -- especially the aggressive U.S. military -- that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” Maj. Gen. Pilot Ali Abdollahi told state broadcaster IRIB.

The Joint Maritime Information Center urged mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities “due to anticipated high traffic volume.” It warned that passing close to usual routes, known as the traffic separation scheme, “should be considered extremely hazardous due to the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated.”

But the head of security for the Baltic and International Maritime Council, a leading shipping trade group, said no formal guidance or details about the U.S. effort had been issued to the industry. Jakob Larsen questioned whether the effort was sustainable in the long run or envisioned as a more limited operation, and said there is a “risk of hostilities breaking out again” if it goes ahead.

And the United Arab Emirates on Monday accused Iran of targeting a tanker linked to its main oil company with two drones as it passed through the strait. It did not say when the attack took place. No injuries were reported.

Iran stands firm on its grip of the strait

The disruption of the waterway has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia that depend on Persian Gulf oil and gas, raising prices for gasoline, food and other items far beyond the region.

Trump has promised to bring down gas prices as he faces midterm elections this year.

Iran has called U.S. moves to dislodge its grip on the strait ceasefire violations.

The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran for transit of the strait. It has enacted a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, telling 49 commercial ships to turn back, U.S. Central Command said Sunday.

The blockade has deprived Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.

U.S. officials hope the blockade forces Iran back to the negotiation table.

“We think that they’ve gotten less than $1.3 million in tolls, which is a pittance on their previous daily oil revenues,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Sunday, adding that Iran’s oil storage is rapidly filling up and “they’re going to have to start shutting in wells, which we think could be in the next week.”

Iran’s 14-point proposal made public over the weekend calls for the U.S. lifting sanctions on Iran, ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdrawing forces from the region and ceasing all hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran’s security organizations.

Iranian officials said they received and were reviewing the U.S. response, though Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters on Monday that changing demands, which he did not detail, made diplomacy difficult.

Iran has claimed its proposal does not include issues related to its nuclear program and enriched uranium -- long a driving force in tensions with the U.S. and Israel.

Iran’s proposal wants other issues resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire, according to Iran’s state-linked media. Trump on Saturday said he was reviewing the proposal but expressed doubt it would lead to a deal.

Iranian crew was taken off seized tanker

Pakistan said Monday it has facilitated the transfer of 22 crew members from an Iranian vessel seized earlier by the U.S., describing the move as a confidence-building measure as Islamabad attempts to revive talks between the two sides.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the crew members, who had been aboard the Iranian container ship MV Touska, were evacuated and flown to Pakistan overnight. They are expected to be handed over to Iranian authorities.

The vessel will be brought into Pakistani territorial waters for necessary repairs before being returned to its original owners, the ministry said, adding that the process is being coordinated with the support of Iran and the U.S.

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By Adam Schreck And Sam Metz

Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Munir Ahmed contributed from Islamabad, Pakistan.