New Delhi, May 05: US President Donald Trump has said American forces struck seven Iranian “fast boats” in the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington moves to escort stranded commercial vessels out of the strategically vital waterway, the BBC reported.
Trump said US helicopters targeted the boats, though Iran denied any such incident. The development comes amid heightened tensions in the strait, which has remained largely disrupted since US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February and Tehran’s subsequent move to block the channel.
Shipping giant Maersk told the BBC that one of its US-flagged vessels had safely exited the strait under American military protection as part of what Trump has termed “Project Freedom”. The company said the transit was completed without incident and that all crew members were safe.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, dismissed the US approach, saying the situation “makes clear that there’s no military solution to a political crisis,” and criticised the initiative as “Project Deadlock”.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that a tanker linked to state oil firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company was struck in the strait, while South Korea also confirmed an explosion on one of its vessels nearby. UAE authorities said air defences intercepted multiple missiles and drones, though a strike triggered a fire and injuries at the key oil port of Fujairah.
Abu Dhabi described the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and said it reserved the right to respond. Iran, however, was quoted by state media as denying plans to target the UAE.
International leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Britain’s Keir Starmer, condemned the strikes. Oil markets reacted sharply, with Brent crude rising above $115 a barrel.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil and gas supplies pass, has seen limited traffic despite an April ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, with thousands of seafarers and vessels still stranded in the region.
