DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military is rejecting claims that Iran struck a U.S. Navy vessel.
The denial on Monday came as the U.S. remains active in the area near the Persian Gulf, offering to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz and dislodge Iran’s blockade on vessels that don’t receive its authorization..
Iranian news agencies — including the semiofficial agency Fars and the Iranian Labour News Agency — claimed that Iran had struck a U.S. Navy vessel southeast of the strait of Hormuz, accusing it of “violating maritime security and navigation norms.”
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States said Monday it is ready to “guide” commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz in a new effort to end the blockade wreaking havoc on the global economy.
The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center advised ships to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying it had set up an “enhanced security area.” The American military has said the initiative might involve guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members but has not specified what kind of assistance or escorts it would provide ships.
That has left open the question of whether shipping companies, and their insurers, will feel comfortable taking the risk given that Iran has fired on ships in the waterway and vowed to keep doing so.
Iran’s control of traffic through the crucial artery for the world’s oil and gas supplies has proved a major strategic advantage in its war with the U.S. and Israel, allowing Iran to inflict tremendous pain on the global economy despite being outgunned on the battlefield.
US offers to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz
The effort to revive traffic risks unraveling the fragile ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks.
Source: WPLG
