Hormuz Strait Tensions Push Ceasefire to the Brink as Trump Threatens Iran

President Donald Trump warned Iran would be “blown out of the water” if it attacks U.S. warships, as rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz pushed the fragile ceasefire between the two countries to the brink. Hostilities escalated Monday when Iran struck the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Trump said U.S. forces shot down seven Iranian small boats near Hormuz.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump emphasized Washington’s military might and revived direct threats against Iran. “We have so much more weaponry and ammunition than we ever had, at a much higher level,” he said. “We have the best equipment. We have everything all over the world. We have bases all over the world, all loaded up with equipment. We can use all of that, and we will if we have to.”

The U.S. military on Monday began implementing Trump’s plan, dubbed Project Freedom, to guide ships through Hormuz and break Iran’s blockade of the strategic shipping lane. Washington said it had helped two American commercial vessels transit the strait, but ship-tracking websites showed traffic through the waterway remained largely suspended.

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said the stranded vessels in the region belong to 87 nations and are “innocent bystanders” in the conflict. “Over the past 12 hours, we have contacted dozens of ships and shipping companies to encourage the flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, consistent with the president’s intent to help safely escort vessels through the narrow commercial corridor,” Cooper said. It remains unclear how ships responded to U.S. pledges.

South Korean Ship Attacked

On Monday, Iran appeared to demonstrate its ability to still target vessels near the strait. South Korea confirmed one of its ships exploded and caught fire off the UAE coast. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported fires on two vessels in the area.

Trump, who is trying to rally international support for military plans to forcibly reopen Hormuz, cited the attack on the South Korean ship to urge Seoul to join the campaign. “Iran has fired on unrelated countries concerning the movement of ships, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean cargo ship. Perhaps it is time for South Korea to join the mission,” Trump wrote on social media. “We shot down 7 small boats, or as they call them, ‘fast’ boats. That is all they have left. Apart from the South Korean ship, no damage has been caused while transiting the strait at this time.”

Iran’s official IRNA news agency, citing military sources, claimed “the American statement about sinking several Iranian warships is false.”

Although the U.S. is largely self-sufficient in oil, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that began on February 28 has sent global energy prices soaring. The price of a gallon (3.8 liters) of gasoline in the U.S. rose from under $3 before the war to more than $4.45 on Monday, fueling inflation months before crucial midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.

Washington’s pledges to protect ships in the strait did little to calm energy markets. International oil prices and U.S. gasoline costs continued to climb Monday. Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen news channel, citing a senior Iranian official, said management of the Strait of Hormuz remains completely in Tehran’s hands. “Our message to the invaders of Iran: Come forward and you will be targeted,” the official said.

Iran Strikes UAE

Against this backdrop, Iran resumed attacks on the UAE on Monday. The UAE Defense Ministry said its forces countered 12 ballistic missiles, 3 cruise missiles, and 4 drones. The media office in the emirate of Fujairah confirmed an Iranian attack caused a fire at the Fujairah Oil Industrial Zone and injured three people.

The UAE and several Gulf states condemned the Iranian strikes. “The UAE emphasizes that it will not tolerate any threat to its security and sovereignty under any circumstances, and reserves its full legal right to respond to these unjustified attacks,” the UAE Foreign Ministry said.

An Iranian official told Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) that the attack on Fujairah was a result of U.S. policy. “The Islamic Republic had no premeditated plan targeting the aforementioned oil facilities, and what happened is a product of American military adventurism aimed at creating a passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz illegally, and the U.S. military bears responsibility for it,” the official said.

While trying to reopen Hormuz, the U.S. said its blockade of Iranian ports continues. CENTCOM on Monday said “50 commercial vessels have been diverted by U.S. forces to ensure compliance” with the naval siege.