US Strikes Seven Iranian Vessels as Iran Attacks UAE Oil Port, Injuring Three
President Donald Trump confirmed US forces attacked seven Iranian "fast boats" via helicopters in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming these were all Iran had left. Tehran, however, denied any such attacks.
Separately, the UAE reported a fire and three injuries at its key Fujairah oil port following an Iranian attack. UAE authorities also stated air defences intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four drones. An unnamed Iranian military official quoted on state TV denied plans to target the UAE, yet the UAE's foreign ministry condemned the "dangerous escalation" and reserved the right to respond.
These incidents occurred as the US began its "Project Freedom" initiative to facilitate the transit of stranded vessels through the strait. Shipping giant Maersk confirmed one of its US-flagged vessels, the Alliance Fairfax, successfully exited the Gulf under US military protection after being stranded since February. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the US effort as "Project Deadlock," asserting that a military solution to the political crisis was not feasible.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained largely impassable since the US and Israel initiated wide-ranging strikes on Iran in February, killing Iran's Supreme Leader and hundreds of civilians, including 110 children at an Iranian primary school. Tehran responded by blocking the strait, through which 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes. While a US-Iran ceasefire in early April halted Iranian drone and missile strikes on Gulf countries, few vessels have transited the strait since, and the US imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports.
The price of Brent crude oil surged past USD#115 a barrel following reports of the Fujairah attack. Neighbouring Qatar condemned the attack and called for the strait's "unconditional reopening." Meanwhile, in Oman, state media reported two injuries in Bukha, a coastal area along the strait, after a residential building was targeted.
Trump stated the US was responding to requests from numerous countries to free their "neutral and innocent bystanders" vessels. An estimated 20,000 seafarers on 2,000 ships have been stranded since the conflict began. The US president threatened force if this "Humanitarian process is interfered with."
