politics
Iran Fires Missiles at UAE; US Sinks Six Boats in Strait of Hormuz
The United States reported destroying six Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz after they threatened commercial shipping, while Iran launched missile and drone strikes on the United Arab Emirates in the sharpest escalation since a recent ceasefire. President Trump warned Iran of severe consequences if it targets U.S. ships protecting vessels in the waterway. Oil prices surged nearly 6% and U.S.
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Iran fired four cruise missiles toward the United Arab Emirates on Monday, with the UAE Defense Ministry reporting that three were intercepted and the fourth landed in the sea, resulting in explosions but no casualties or significant damage, according to a statement from the ministry cited in The Hill.
This marked the first such attack since a fragile ceasefire took effect last month, as reported by Al Jazeera. Separately, U.S. Central Command announced that U.S. forces destroyed six Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz after they attempted to interfere with commercial shipping, per a CENTCOM statement referenced in AFP and CNBC.
U.S. Central Command specified that Sea Hawk and Apache attack helicopters were used to eliminate the boats, which were described in the statement as threatening vessels amid efforts to reopen the strait. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper stated that underwater drones were deployed to clear an exit lane through what the command termed Iranian mine operations, enabling safe passage for commercial ships.
The U.S. has initiated an operation named Project Freedom to escort vessels through the waterway, beginning with U.S.-flagged ships, according to details in Hot Air and Al Jazeera. The vessels' operators targeted by the U.S. action have not been publicly identified by CENTCOM, and no evidence of the alleged mine operations has been released publicly as of the reports in the source bundle.
President Trump responded to the events by warning Iran of severe consequences, posting on Truth Social: "Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship. " He further noted U.S. military readiness, stating that American forces have "superior weapons" and "stocked bases worldwide," as quoted in Hot Air.
The post mentioned Iran's reported firing on a South Korean cargo ship in the strait, though no other vessels were reported damaged at the time. Iran's foreign ministry has not issued a public statement on the boat destructions or the UAE attacks as of the latest updates in Al Jazeera.
