Fragile truce hangs by a thread as tensions flare in the Strait of Hormuz
by Mike Glenn, Vaughn Cockayne, Tom Howell Jr. · The Washington TimesIran threatened ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, forcing the U.S. to fire on Tehran’s speedy boats and threatening a fragile ceasefire as President Trump launched a bold operation to break the economic logjam in the Middle East.
U.S. Central Command said two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels made it through the strait early Monday.
But hostilities broke out, early and often, after the start of Mr. Trump’s “Project Freedom” to guide ships through the strait.
The Pentagon said that U.S. forces shot down six Iranian small boats, a marked escalation of aggression since the ceasefire between the two nations went into effect early last month.
UAE officials said at least four missiles were fired into its territory from Iran, and several fires were reported at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone and coastal ships.
The Emiratis warned citizens to stay away from windows and open areas in a series of missile alerts on Monday, the first since a U.S.-Iran ceasefire in early April.
SEE ALSO: Pentagon rejects Iran’s claim it struck U.S. Navy vessel near the Strait of Hormuz
Taken together, the incidents gave a fiery start to Project Freedom, which Mr. Trump announced late Sunday.
Under the initiative, the military will help crews avoid mines and other dangers and respond forcefully if Iranian forces try to intervene.
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If it works, Mr. Trump’s operation could reduce Tehran’s leverage in the conflict by taking away its control of the strait.
The president says his main goal is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and that he will not be rushed into making a deal while he squeezes Tehran’s economy with a blockade of Iranian ports.
“The administration’s new initiative is clearly an effort to push the pace on the Hormuz stalemate,” said Ilan Berman, senior vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council.
He said the White House seems “quite comfortable” with the impact of Mr. Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports, which is decreasing Iranian oil exports and could affect overall production.
“But there are questions about how long the regime can hold out under these conditions, and the desire here seems to be to accelerate the timetable and get the strait open sooner rather than later — as a way of settling markets and of reassuring the president’s political base,” Mr. Berman said.
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Mr. Trump has rejected Iran’s proposals for ending the war, saying they do not meet his terms.
“The adversary gets a vote too, though. Iran retains some naval and drone [and] missile capabilities, and there’s a danger that the Iranian regime will act aggressively in the strait,” Mr. Berman said. “If it does, it would force the U.S. to react and set the stage for a breakdown of the ceasefire.”
Early Monday, CENTCOM said that two U.S.-flagged vessels were transiting the Strait of Hormuz under Project Freedom.
Iran has heavily restricted the waterway, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply, for months by charging tolls and harassing ships as economic retaliation for Mr. Trump’s decision on Feb. 28 to wage war against Tehran’s military and regime.
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps rejected statements that any U.S.-linked tankers had passed through the strait on Monday, calling such claims “baseless and completely false.”
“Other maritime movements that contradict the declared principles of the IRGC Navy will face serious risks, and violating vessels will be forcefully stopped,” the IRGC said in a statement.
The U.S. and Iran made conflicting claims throughout the day.
For instance, the U.S. denied Iranian claims that it struck an American Navy ship.
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Iranian state media had said its military struck the Navy vessel southeast of the strait for “violating maritime security and navigation norms.”
“TRUTH: No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports,” the command wrote on X.
The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, accused Iran of “acts of piracy” and said its chokehold on the strait is destabilizing the region. Later, British monitors reported a fire on a cargo ship off the Emirati coast, raising suspicions of ongoing Iranian attacks.
Mr. Trump faces political pressure at home to wind down the war. With midterm elections looming, his war is polling relatively poorly, and motorists are seeing higher gas prices as crude oil gets more expensive.
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The national average price of a gallon of gasoline stood at $4.46 on Monday, according to the AAA motor club.
It is an increase from $4.11 a week ago and $3 per gallon, on average, at the start of the war on Feb. 28. Stocks on Wall Street fell Monday as investors feared a renewed conflict in the Middle East.
U.S. allies in Europe and Asia are feeling an even tighter pinch from oil shortfalls. While they are no fans of the Iranian regime, they want the U.S. and Israel to wind down military operations.
Mr. Trump says those nations should take a bigger role in helping the U.S. reopen the strait.
“Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship,” Mr. Trump wrote Monday on social media. “Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!”
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.