By Parisa Hafezi, Ahmed Tolba and Idrees Ali
Dubai/Washington — The US military says two of its guided-missile destroyers had entered the Gulf to break an Iranian blockade and two US ships have transited the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran said it prevented a US warship entering the Gulf.
Central Command (Centcom) said its forces are supporting President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom“, which aims to “guide out” commercial ships stranded in the Gulf by the US-Israeli war with Iran, and were enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports.
The intervention appeared to raise the risk of a direct confrontation between the US and Iran in the waterway, which has been blocked for two months due to the war.
Centcom said two US-flagged merchant vessels crossed through the strait as the US destroyers operated in the Gulf, adding: “American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping.”
Earlier on Monday, Iran said it forced a US warship to turn back from the strait, though Centcom quickly denied an Iranian news report that the ship had been hit by missiles.
A senior Iranian official said Iran fired a warning shot and that it is unclear whether the warship was damaged.
Little progress
Oil prices had jumped 5% on reports of the warship being turned back but by 12.20pm GMT (2.20pm) were up about 2.5%.
The shipping industry remains to be convinced that the vital oil route, whose closure has damaged global business and trade, is safe to use, with little sign of progress towards a negotiated resolution of the conflict.
Iran’s navy said it prevented “American-Zionist” warships from entering the strait area by issuing a “swift and decisive warning”. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said two missiles had hit the warship near the port of Jask at the southern entrance to the strait. Centcom denied that any warship had been struck.
Trump gave few details of his plan to aid ships and their crews, who have been confined to the vital waterway and are running low on food and other supplies.
“We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site on Sunday.
Commercial ships
In response to Trump’s announcement, Iran’s unified command told commercial ships and oil tankers to refrain from any movement that is not co-ordinated with Iran’s military.
“We have repeatedly said the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in our hands and that the safe passage of vessels needs to be co-ordinated with the armed forces,” Ali Abdollahi, head of the forces’ unified command, said in the statement. “We warn that any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive US Army, will be attacked if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran has blocked nearly all shipping into and out of the Gulf apart from its own since the start of the war, sending oil prices soaring by 50% or more.
Centcom said it will support Trump’s “Project Freedom” with 15,000 military personnel and more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, plus warships and drones. “Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” Adm Brad Cooper, the Centcom commander, said in a statement.
