politics
U.S. Conducts Action in Strait of Hormuz After Iran Closes Waterway
The U.S. military sank six Iranian boats while escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, testing a three-week ceasefire in the ongoing war. Iran fired missiles and drones at the UAE, causing a fire and injuries, as commercial vessels began transiting the vital waterway. Leaders from multiple nations issued condemnations and warnings amid stalled peace talks.
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U.S. military forces fired on Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz and sank six small vessels that were targeting ships, according to U.S. officials. The action occurred as part of an attempt to open the strait for commercial shipping after Iran closed the waterway.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran that began on February 28. About a fifth of the world’s trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, along with fertilizer and other petroleum-derived products.
The U.S. created an “enhanced security area” dubbed “Project Freedom” intended to aid stranded seafarers on hundreds of ships stuck in the Persian Gulf since the war began. Ship tracking data showed a Panamanian-flagged crude oil tanker heading toward the center of the strait on Tuesday morning after leaving an anchorage in the Persian Gulf, with a stated destination of Singapore according to the MarineTraffic ship tracking site.
The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said its air defenses engaged 15 missiles and four drones fired by Iran. Authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah said one drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three Indian nationals. The British military reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE.
Saudi Arabia condemned the strikes against the UAE in a statement from its foreign ministry. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf accused Washington of undermining shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz and warned that a “new equation” in the strait is taking shape.
