The US and Iran’s fragile truce is in jeopardy today as the nations wrestle for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
American military officials said six Iranian small boats were destroyed yesterday after Donald Trump sent the navy to escort stranded tankers through the strait in a campaign he called ‘Project Freedom’.
The strait is a vital thoroughfare for global supplies of oil, fertiliser and other commodities that has been virtually closed since the US and Israel began attacks on Iran on February 28, causing price rises around the world.
Several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires on Monday, and an oil port in the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a large US military base, was set ablaze by Iranian missiles.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively closed the narrow waterway under threat of mines, drones, missiles and gunboats. The US has responded with a blockade of Iranian ports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Monday’s events showed there was no military solution to the crisis. He said peace talks were progressing with Pakistan’s mediation, and warned the US and the UAE against being drawn into a ‘quagmire’.
