By ADAM SCHRECK and SAM METZ Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military said Monday that two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz after it launched a new plan to restore traffic. Iran has effectively closed the critical waterway since the U.S. and Israel launched the war in late February.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new initiative to break Iran’s chokehold has escalated the standoff. The U.S. military denied Iran’s claims that it had struck an American Navy vessel. The United Arab Emirates meanwhile issued its first missile alert since a ceasefire reached in early April and accused Iran of targeting an oil tanker.
Iran’s effective closure of the strait has caused a spike in worldwide fuel prices and rattled the global economy. As part of Trump’s latest effort to reopen it, the U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center advised ships to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying it set up an “enhanced security area.”
It was unclear 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. Hundreds of ships have been bottled up in the Persian Gulf for weeks.
Iran has said the new U.S. effort is a violation of the fragile ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks. Its control of the strait is a major source of leverage, allowing it to inflict pain on the global economy despite being outgunned on the battlefield.
Trump warns of ‘forceful’ response if Iran interferes
The U.S. military’s Central Command said the two American-flagged merchant ships were “safely headed on their journey” after transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It said Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf were helping to restore traffic.
Its statement on X said that U.S. destroyers had also transited the strait. It did not say when the Navy ships arrived or when the merchant vessels departed.
Trump’s announcement Sunday 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 earlier in the war as their vessels run low on drinking water, food and other supplies.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency called the effort part of Trump’s “delirium.”
Iran stands firm on its grip of the strait
Iran’s military command on Monday said ships passing through the strait 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 disruption of the waterway has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia that depend on Persian Gulf oil and gas, raising prices far beyond the region.
Trump has promised to bring down gas prices as he faces midterm elections this year.
The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran for transit of the strait.
The Joint Maritime Information Center urged mariners to coordinate closely with authorities in Oman, an Arab state that shares the strait with Iran, “due to anticipated high traffic volume.” It warned that passing close to usual routes “should be considered extremely hazardous due to the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated.”
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 and said there is a “risk of hostilities breaking out again” if it goes ahead.
The United Arab Emirates 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. ADNOC Logistics & Services, an affiliate of the oil company, said on X that the ship was not carrying any cargo when it was hit off the coast of Oman.
U.S. military denies that Iran struck one of its ships
Iranian news agencies, including the semiofficial Fars and ILNA, reported Monday 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.
U.S. Central Command said on X that “no U.S. Navy ships have been struck.”
The U.S. has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, telling at least 49 commercial ships to turn back, according to Central Command.
The blockade has deprived Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy. U.S. officials have expressed hope that the blockade forces Iran to make concessions in talks to end the war.
Little progress seen in negotiations
Iran’s latest 14-point proposal for ending the war, made public over the weekend, calls for the U.S. lifting sanctions, ending the blockade, 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 apparatus.
Iranian officials said they were reviewing the U.S. response, though Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters 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. 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. Pakistan hosted face-to-face talks last month.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the crew members, who had been aboard the Iranian container ship MV Touska, were flown to Pakistan overnight. They were 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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Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press journalists Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed.