Iran Targets Ships Passing Hormuz In Signal To US
Dubai: Iran hit several ships and set fire to a UAE oil port in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday; President Donald Trump’s attempt to use the US Navy to free shipping has triggered the biggest escalation of the war since a ceasefire was declared four weeks ago. Trump’s new mission, “Project Freedom”, which he announced on social media overnight to free ships stuck in the strait, was the first visible attempt to use naval power to unblock the world’s most important energy shipping route.
But at least in the early hours of Monday, the gamble appeared to have backfired, prompting a show of force by Iran, while there was no increase in commercial ship transit through the strait. The US military said two US commercial ships passed through the strait, without specifying when. Iran has denied that such transits took place.
The commander of US forces in the region said his fleet destroyed six small Iranian boats, which Iran also denied. Admiral Brad Cooper said he “strongly advises” Iranian forces to stay away from US military assets conducting the mission. Iranian officials, for their part, have published a map of an expanded maritime area they say is now under their control, extending well beyond the strait to include international waters, including long stretches of the UAE’s coastline.
