Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday. West Asia News Agency via Reuters-Yonhap
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military said Monday that two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz after it launched a new initiative to restore traffic. Iran has effectively controlled the critical waterway since the U.S. and Israel launched the war in late February.
Breaking Iran’s chokehold over the strait would ease global economic concerns and deny Tehran a major source of leverage in talks aimed at ending the war. But U.S. President Donald Trump's latest effort also risks reigniting full-scale fighting, as the U.S. and Iran steadily ramp up pressure.
The United Arab Emirates issued its first missile alert since a ceasefire reached in early April and accused Iran of targeting an oil tanker. An explosion and fire meanwhile broke out aboard a South Korean-operated ship anchored in the strait, though its cause was unknown, the South Korean government said.
In another sign of possible escalation, Iran claimed to have struck a U.S. Navy vessel near the strait. The U.S. denied the claim.
Iran's effective closure of the strait, which runs between Iran and Oman, has caused a spike in worldwide fuel prices and rattled the global economy. The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center is now advising ships to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying it set up an “enhanced security area.”
It was unclear 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. Hundreds of ships have been bottled up in the Persian Gulf for weeks.
Iran has said the new U.S. effort is a violation of the fragile ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks.
Trump warns of ‘forceful’ response if Iran interferes
The U.S. military’s Central Command said the two American-flagged merchant ships were “safely headed on their journey” after transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It said Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf were helping to restore traffic.
Source: Korea Times News
