Iran targeted multiple vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and struck a UAE oil facility on Monday, marking a sharp escalation after US President Donald Trump ordered a naval operation to reopen the vital shipping route.
The attacks came hours after Trump announced “Project Freedom,” a US-led mission aimed at escorting stranded commercial ships through the strait, a key artery for global oil and gas supplies.
Initial signs suggested the move failed to ease the blockade. No surge in commercial traffic was observed, while Iran responded with drone and missile strikes, including an attack that set fire to an oil installation in Fujairah, one of the UAE’s main export hubs outside the strait.
The US military said two American-flagged merchant vessels had crossed safely, though Iran denied any such transit had taken place. Conflicting claims from both sides made the situation difficult to independently verify.
US Central Command said naval forces were operating in the Gulf to support commercial shipping, while regional commander Admiral Brad Cooper said US forces had destroyed six Iranian boats — a claim Tehran rejected.
Iranian authorities, meanwhile, warned that any foreign military presence in the strait would be treated as a hostile act. The country’s Revolutionary Guards said no commercial vessels had crossed the waterway in recent hours and dismissed US statements as false.
A South Korean cargo ship was among vessels reportedly hit, with Seoul confirming an onboard explosion and fire. British maritime security officials also reported two ships struck near the UAE coast, while Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC said one of its empty tankers had been hit by Iranian drones.
Trump urged South Korea to join the US-led mission, saying Tehran had “taken shots at unrelated nations” involved in shipping.
The UAE condemned the strikes as a “serious escalation” and said it reserved the right to respond.
The strait, which normally carries around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has remained largely blocked since the outbreak of conflict between the US, Israel and Iran more than two months ago. Tehran has restricted passage to most vessels, while Washington has imposed its own controls on Iranian shipping.
Despite the new US operation, major shipping companies signalled they would wait for clearer security guarantees before resuming transit.
Oil prices rose more than 5% amid the heightened tensions.
The latest escalation comes four weeks after a ceasefire paused direct hostilities. While Washington and Tehran held initial talks, efforts to advance negotiations have stalled, with both sides at odds over proposals to end the conflict and restore maritime security.
