US Denies Iranian Claim That Warship Was Hit by Missiles in Strait of Hormuz
The BBC reported Monday that the United States has flatly rejected Iranian claims that one of its Navy vessels was struck by missiles near the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (Centcom) stated publicly that no American warship had been hit, and that US forces were actively enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports. The denial followed a report from Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency alleging two missiles struck a US Navy boat after it ignored a warning from Iranian naval forces.
Competing Claims Emerge From the Strait
A senior Iranian official, speaking to Reuters, said a warning shot was fired to prevent the vessel’s entry. The official acknowledged it remained unclear whether any damage resulted. Iranian state-linked media went further, reporting that forces had turned back American and Israeli warships from entering the waterway on Monday. Separately, Centcom confirmed that two US-flagged commercial vessels completed a successful transit through the strait, without identifying the ships by name.
“Project Freedom” and the Humanitarian Framing
President Donald Trump announced Monday that the US would begin escorting stranded merchant ships out of the strait under an initiative he called “Project Freedom.” Trump framed the operation as a humanitarian gesture, saying nations from across the globe had requested American assistance. The effort involves roughly 15,000 US service personnel, guided-missile destroyers and more than 100 aircraft, according to Centcom. Trump said any interference with the operation would be met with force.
Background: A Blockade With Global Consequences
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created a significant humanitarian and economic crisis. Approximately 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas ordinarily moves through the channel. Around 2,000 vessels have been left stranded, trapping an estimated 20,000 sailors in the Gulf. Fuel prices have climbed globally as a result. The closure has been in effect since the outbreak of war, with a temporary ceasefire taking hold on 8 April. Talks on a permanent peace arrangement are continuing, but a senior Iranian official warned that US operations in the strait could themselves constitute a ceasefire violation.
Diplomacy Continues Amid the Standoff
Trump described US-Iran negotiations as “very positive,” suggesting the talks could yield meaningful outcomes. Iranian state media reported Tehran had received a US response to its latest 14-point peace proposal, delivered through Pakistan. The US has not formally confirmed it sent a reply. Separately, Pakistan said 15 of 22 crew members from the Iranian vessel Touska, seized by the US during the blockade, were handed to Iranian authorities at the Balochistan border as a confidence-building measure.
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