Tag: U.S

Dubai: The ceasefire in the Iran war abruptly faced its most perilous moment on Monday after the United States began trying to open the Strait of Hormuz to allow hundreds of stranded commercial ships to sail out.

There had been warning signs in the hours before the United Arab Emirates said it came under attack for the first time since the early April ceasefire, and before a British military monitor said two cargo vessels were ablaze off the UAE.

Iran had called the new US military-aided effort to guide ships through the strait a violation of the fragile, three-week ceasefire. There were a few signs of ships taking advantage of “Project Freedom,” announced Sunday by President Donald Trump, though the US said two US-flagged merchant ships safely transited with its help.

Caution is quickly growing among shippers and in markets over the lack of details from Washington. Who would risk their crew and cargo to possible Iranian fire?

Here’s what to know.

US appears to be going it alone

Iran’s grip on the crucial waterway has left hundreds of commercial ships and tens of thousands of sailors stuck since the war broke out over two months ago.

Backed up in the Strait are weeks’ worth of supplies of globally needed oil, gas, fertiliser, and other goods. This has been Iran’s strategic advantage in the war, one that has pinched economies and dimmed the outlook for the Republican president’s party in this year’s midterm US elections.

Oil prices rose on Monday as uncertainty continued around the Strait and the US effort, which Trump has described as a humanitarian one to help countries that have been “neutral and innocent” in the war.

While countries in Europe and elsewhere have fretted over the strait and have been urged by Trump to help solve the issue, it was not immediately clear whether any other nation was involved on Monday.

The US military said the initiative would involve guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members, but did not say how they would be deployed.

Trump warned that interference in the effort “will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”

The US military said it sank six small Iranian boats that were targeting civilian vessels. It said Iran also launched missiles and drones at ships the US was protecting.

Iran calls the effort part of Trump’s delirium’

Iran effectively closed the Strait by attacking some ships over the past two months, and told others not affiliated with the US or Israel that they could pass if they paid a toll.

Concerns remain about Iranian mines in the waterway as shippers consider the new US effort.

Iran’s military command on Monday said ships still must coordinate with Tehran to transit the strait and warned that “any foreign military force — especially the aggressive US military — that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” the state broadcaster reported.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency called Trump’s plan to reopen the strait part of his “delirium.”

Iranian news agencies claimed that Iran struck a US vessel southeast of the strait, accusing it of “violating maritime security and navigation norms.” The US military, which has been blockading Iranian ports for weeks, denied it.

Wary shippers say security situation remains unchanged

The threat level around the Strait remains critical, according to the US-led Joint Maritime Information Centre, even as it issued an advisory earlier Monday on the new US effort.

The head of security for the Baltic and International Maritime Council, a leading shipping trade group, said no formal guidance or details about the effort had been issued to the industry.

“Without consent from Iran to let commercial ships transit safely through the Strait of Hormuz, it is currently not clear whether the Iranian threat to ships can be degraded or suppressed,” Jakob Larsen, BIMCO’s chief safety and security officer said in a statement.

Larsen questioned whether the effort is sustainable in the long run or is envisioned as a more limited operation, and said there is a “risk of hostilities breaking out again” if it goes ahead.

The Joint Maritime Information Center has advised ships to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying the US has set up an “enhanced security area.” It warned that passing close to usual routes “should be considered extremely hazardous due to the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated.”

The center urged mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities “due to anticipated high traffic volume.” https://www.siasat.com/us-attempt-to-reopen-strait-of-hormuz-draws-iran-warning-risks-ceasefire-3465458/

The United States military said it fired on Iranian forces and sank six small boats targeting civilian ships as it moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, May 4. The attack resulted in the killing of five civilians by the American naval forces, the Iranians said, according to Al Jazeera.

They have denied the Americans’ claim that the boats belonged to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and maintained that they were civilian boats.

The US destroyers (warships) tried entering the Strait of Hormuz with their radar off, the Iranians said. The warships were only detected after their radar was turned on, with Iran’s naval forces constantly monitoring the region. Immediately after being identified, Iranian forces engaged them and fired warning shots, Al Jazeera reported.

The warning shots consisted of missiles, rockets and combat drones, forcing the US destroyers to turn back. The attacks came a day after US President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” warning Iran would face severe consequences if it targeted American ships.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, a key American ally, said it had come under attack from Iran for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took hold in early April.

Tehran did not outright confirm or deny the attacks but early on Tuesday, May 5, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that both the US and the UAE “should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire.”

In similarly vague terms, Iranian state television earlier quoted an anonymous military official as saying Tehran had had “no plan” to target the UAE or one of its oil fields.

PM Modi condemns attacks on UAE that injured three Indians

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday strongly condemned the attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ port city of Fujairah that resulted in injuries to three Indian nationals.

Modi’s sharp denouncement of the attacks came a day after the Indians were injured after drone strikes caused a fire at a major oil industry zone in Fujairah. The UAE had accused Iran of carrying out the strike.

“Strongly condemn the attacks on the UAE that resulted in injuries to three Indian nationals. Targeting civilians and infrastructure is unacceptable,” Modi said on social media.

“India stands in firm solidarity with the UAE and reiterates its support for the peaceful resolution of all issues through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.

The prime minister also asserted that ensuring “safe and unimpeded navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is vital for enduring regional peace, stability and global energy security.”

The attack on Fujairah city came as the ceasefire between the US and Iran came under strain in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas pass, remains a major sticking point in the talks. Shipping through the narrow Gulf waterway has been severely disrupted by the conflict, triggering a sharp increase in oil prices and energy shortages in several countries.

The UAE’s defence ministry on Monday said its air defence systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones launched from Iran.

Thailand approves USD 12.2 bn emergency borrowing

Thailand’s government has agreed to an emergency package to help with the economic impacts of the US-Israel war on Iran, marking one of the largest borrowing plans in the country’s history.

The USD 12.2 billion package, according to lawmakers, will be used to increase domestic spending and mitigate economic hardships. The loan will be issued from June to September and will provide aid for more than 20 million low-income people under the “Thais Help Thais” government initiative to ease living costs.

South Korean commercial vessel damaged in explosion in the Strait of Hormuz

A South Korean commercial ship was damaged after an explosion occurred in the Strait of Hormuz. All 24 passengers on board are reported to be safe.

Hours after the attack, Reuters reported that the country’s presidential office is thinking over whether to join Trump’s “Project Freedom.”

Pakistan Navy aids crew of Indian vessel stranded in Arabian Sea

The Pakistan Navy provided humanitarian assistance to the crew of an Indian offshore tug and supply vessel stranded in the Arabian Sea, according to a media report.

The navy was assisted by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) in the rescue and support operation, the Dawn newspaper reported on Monday, quoting security sources.

The assistance operation for the crew, which included six Indians and one Indonesian national, was launched after the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre in Mumbai contacted Pakistani authorities and requested assistance, the report said.

The crew had reported a technical fault on MV Gautam, which was en route from Oman to India, the sources said.

Multiple raids conducted in occupied West Bank by Israeli forces

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported Israeli forces conducting several raids in the occupied West Bank overnight on Monday. The forces stormed the villages of Jorat al-Shamaa, Wadi al-Nis and Umm Salamuna, attacking multiple Palestinian homes. The news agency also reported that Israeli militart raided parts of Ramallah in the western region.

No injuries or arrests were recorded from the raids.

Fire reported in southern Iranian port

With the cause still unknown, Iranian state media reported a fire broke out on several commercial ships docked in the southern port of Dayyer.

Head of the port’s fire department, Majid Omrani, told Mehr news agency that firefighters are working to control the fire.

Residents of two Lebanese towns directed to evacuate

The Israeli military issued another round of displacement orders for residents of Jabsheet and Sarafand towns in Lebanon. The locals were asked to evacuate “immediately and move away from the villages anf towns for a distance of at least 1,000 metres to open areas.” https://www.siasat.com/iran-says-us-military-attacked-civilian-ships-killed-5-in-strait-of-hormuz-3465587/