This morning, Iran claimed it had fired on and struck a U.S. Navy vessel attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. However, U.S. Central Command stated that no ships were actually hit. The Times of Israel reports that these tensions come a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” an initiative to escort vessels through the closed strait. Since then, ships from other countries, including South Korea and the United Kingdom, have reportedly come under fire in the area.
The Axios news site also cited two US officials as saying that, rather than accompany commercial vessels, the US Navy would provide them with information on the best ways to navigate and avoid Iranian naval mines in the strait.
One of the officials cited by Axios said US Navy ships would be “in the vicinity” in case they need to prevent Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in Hormuz.
Soon after Trump announced “Project Freedom,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker had reported being hit by unknown projectiles in the strait.
The agency said all crew were reported safe in the incident, which occurred 78 nautical miles north of Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates, but few details were immediately available.
Iran imposed a blockade on the strait, and launched missiles and drones across the region, in response to the bombing campaign that the US and Israel launched on Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize its regime and destroy its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
Meanwhile, the IDF continues counterterrorism operations against Hezbollah in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. The Israeli military reported raiding a Hezbollah rocket-launching site and seizing a cache of assault rifles, RPGs, and other weapons.
The United States also reported that two American merchant ships were able to transit the strait, even as Iran continues to issue threats against vessels attempting to enter or approach the area. Amid these heightened tensions, The Fellowship and its supporters pray for a peaceful resolution in both the Strait of Hormuz and northern Israel.
