The U.S. military’s Central Command denied Iranian state media claims of a Navy ship being hit by missiles launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday, hours after Tehran warned it would attack any U.S. Navy ships entering the Strait of Hormuz to implement President Donald Trump’s plan to “guide” stranded vessels out of the the Persian Gulf.
A man stands in the water, appearing to fish, as bulk carriers, cargo ships, and service vessels line the horizon in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran.
Associated Press
In a statement shared with state-aligned media on Monday, the leader of the Iranian military’s central command, Major General Ali Abdollahi, warned foreign armed forces, “particularly the U.S. aggressor,” that they will be attacked if they attempt to “approach or enter” the strait.
The statement also warned stranded cargo vessels and tankers not to attempt a crossing without coordinating with the Iranian military.
The warning follows Trump’s announcement of “Project Freedom” on Sunday evening, which the President said was a “Humanitarian gesture” by the U.S. to help stranded ships running low on critical supplies like food.
Trump said the U.S. will help “guide” ships safely out of the “restricted Waterways” and the mission will begin Monday morning, Middle East time.
A few hours after Iran issued the threat, the country’s state-controlled media claimed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck a U.S. warship with two missiles. The U.S. Military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a swift denial on X, saying: “No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports”
The president wrote, countries not involved in the conflict have sought U.S. help to evacuate stranded ships from the Persian Gulf, as he described them as: “merely neutral and innocent bystanders!” Trump said these evacuated ships will not return to the Gulf until the Strait of Hormuz becomes safe for navigation. Trump’s post also included a warning that if the “Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”
In a statement offering further clarification about its role in “Project Freedom,” CENTCOM said it will “support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor.” As part of the mission, the U.S. will deploy “guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members.” However, CNN reported that the mission is unlikely to involve naval vessels escorting the stranded ships through the strait. Bloomberg reported that shipowners are awaiting more concrete details about the plan before agreeing to evacuate their vessels.
$111.84 per barrel. That is the price of crude oil on Monday morning according to the global benchmark Brent Crude Futures index. Despite the president’s assurance to help ships leave Hormuz, the price has risen more than 3.4% on Monday.
Trump says the U.S will 'guide' stranded ships from the Strait of Hormuz (Associated Press)
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