TheUSmilitaryhasrejected claims by Iranthat twomissilesstruck anAmerican warshipintending to pass through theStrait of Hormuzon Monday.
Tehran’s semi-official state news agency Fars reported thewarshipwas turned back after it was struck while sailing near Jask island, following an earlier threat fromIrantoattack any US boatsthat sought to enter theStrait of Hormuz.
US Central Command(Centcom) said on X that “no US Navy ships have been struck”. It did not directly respond to claims that a warship had been made to turn back.
Iran’s warning came after US presidentDonald Trumphad vowed to free commercial ships stranded in the waterwayas part of his so-called ‘Project Freedom’,an operation to guide foreign ships past Iran’s blockade, which was imposed shortly after the US-Israeli war on Iran began on 28 February.
Centcom later said that two US-flagged merchant vessels had crossed through the Strait of Hormuz as US Navy guided-missile destroyers operate in the gulf. Tehran has not yet responded to the claims.
In a lengthy Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said the “humanitarian” mission to “free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong” would begin on Monday morning.
Several ships were running low on food and other supplies, he said.
“They are merely neutral and innocent bystanders! For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump wrote.
He said ‘Project Freedom’ came as the US held “very positive discussions” with Iran, who have reportedly issued the US president a one-month deadline for negotiations on its proposed deal to reopen the strait and bring an end to the war.
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A senior Iranian lawmaker had previously warned that any US involvement in managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would constitute a violation of the ceasefire.
Ibrahim Azizi dismissed the idea that the waterway could be directed by Washington, saying the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf “would not be managed by Trump’s delusional posts".
“No one would believe Blame Game scenarios!” he added.
Hours before claiming to have struck a US warship, a statement from the Iranian military declared it would "respond harshly" to any threat from foreign vessels/
Ali Abdollahi, the head of the forces' unified command, said in the statement that commercial ships and oil tankers must refrain from any movement in the absence of coordination with Iran's military.
"We have repeatedly said the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in our hands and that the safe passage of vessels needs to be coordinated with the armed forces," Mr Abdollahi said.
"We warn that any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive US army, will be attacked if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz."
Later on Monday, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent called on China to step up efforts to help the US end Iran’s blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington will be watching to see whether China steps up its diplomacy with Iran, he added.
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