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U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Fox News that Washington is ready to respond harshly to Iran if it tries to prevent American ships from escorting trade vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Trump, in such a case, Iran would be “wiped off the face of the earth.”
On May 3, the U.S. President announced the launch of Operation “Freedom” to help ships stranded in the Persian Gulf exit through the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz. Tehran viewed these plans as a violation of the ceasefire regime in place since April 8.
Iranian media, citing the country’s army press service, claimed that Iran’s naval forces attacked American military ships at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that reports of American ships being hit are not accurate.
Earlier, at the end of April, Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to fire at and destroy any ships attempting to lay mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
New attacks in the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. and Iran began new attacks in the Persian Gulf on May 4, fighting for control over the Strait of Hormuz, undermining the fragile ceasefire. Several trade vessels in the Persian Gulf reported explosions and fires, and the U.S. announced the destruction of six small Iranian military boats, Reuters reports.
For several weeks, the U.S. Navy has been blocking Iran’s maritime trade, which Iran claims is itself an act of war. The blockade aims to exert economic pressure on Iran and force it to accept U.S. terms for a peace agreement.
The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the events in the Strait of Hormuz showed the absence of a military solution to the political crisis. “The ‘Freedom’ project is a dead-end project,” he wrote on social media.
Araghchi added that peaceful negotiations are progressing with Pakistan’s mediation and warned the U.S. and UAE against being drawn into a “quagmire by ill-wishers.”
New escalation
Meanwhile, for the first time in a month since the ceasefire agreement, Iran struck the UAE on May 4. According to the country’s Ministry of Defense, air defense forces intercepted 19 missiles and UAVs launched from Iran. In the area of the Al-Fujairah oil industrial complex, where a large American military base is located, a fire broke out after the strike.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the country “reserves the legitimate right to respond to these attacks.”
According to senior American officials, the U.S. may resume major military actions against Iran, but the final decision rests with President Donald Trump and the new leadership in Tehran, Foxnews reports.
The U.S. Armed Forces are “ready for retaliatory actions.” They are “re-armed and modernized,” officials added. However, they said no orders have yet been issued to end the ceasefire regime.
All news about the Middle East war can be read in our coverage.
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