American attack helicopters sank six Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday — as the Trump administration works to back the regime into a corner — forcing it to choose between allowing ships through the strait or attacking them and provoking a return to war.
Two US-flagged cargo ships successfully passed through the strait as part of a new American initiative, “Project Freedom.”
Frustrated by the lack of progress with Iranian negotiators, Trump is allegedly forcing Iran’s hand by deploying US warships directly into the Strait of Hormuz to escort neutral vessels that have been trapped in the Persian Gulf for over a month.
“The president wants action. He doesn’t want to sit still,” a senior US official told Axios. “He wants pressure. He wants a deal.”
The president’s calculus is hedging on one of two outcomes, the first being to call Iran’s bluff and prove that the Strait of Hormuz is safe to navigate across.
The second, however, is to force Iran to act first and attack, giving Trump the legitimacy he needs to restart the conflict and achieve his war goals by force, Axios reported.
“It’s either we’re looking at the real contours of an achievable deal soon, or he’s going to bomb the hell out of them,” the senior official added.
Adm. Brad Cooper, who heads US Central Command, said the Hormuz has been cleared of all mines and that US fighter jets, helicopters and ships would be
Despite the president’s threats, neutral cargo ships traveling near the Strait of Hormuz have come under fire.
South Korean officials confirmed that an explosion rocked the HMM Namu, with a fire breaking out in the engine room of the Panama-flagged cargo ship.
Seoul, which has 26 vessels stranded near the Strait of Hormuz, said it was investigating if it was indeed an Iranian projectile or mine that struck the vessel.
The incident came as a United Arab Emirates oil tanker was targeted by an Iranian drone as it tried to cross the strait, Abu Dhabi officials said.
The tanker, owned by the ADNOC state oil company, was empty when it came under attack by two drones, resulting in outrage from the US ally.
The UK military’s Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that a UAE vessel was currently ablaze just west of Mina Saqr port, along the Strait of Hormuz.
“The UAE further stressed the need for Iran to halt these unprovoked attacks, ensure its full commitment to an immediate cessation of all hostilities, and the complete and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” Abu Dhabi’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Iran has repeatedly warned that it will not allow any ship to cross the Strait of Hormuz without its permission, warning the US that its escort missions would be seen as a provocation of war.
“WARNING. Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire,” Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, wrote on X.
“The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump’s delusional posts!” he added.
Iran has claimed that it fired two missiles at US warships operating in the Strait of Hormuz, with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps affiliated Fars News Agency adding that “cruise missile warning shots” were sent out in the Sea of Oman.
CENTCOM rejected Iran’s claim, with US officials asserting that America had complete control over the Strait of Hormuz.
