Macron: France won’t join ‘unclear’ mission to reopen strait

US says two American-flagged vessels successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz

Iran says it hit US Navy destroyer with missiles, but CENTCOM denies claim; officials cited in US media say ‘Project Freedom’ won’t necessarily involve US Navy escorting merchant ships

The United States military said Monday that two US-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz after it launched a new plan to restore traffic by guiding trapped ships through the blocked waterway, escalating the standoff with Iran.

The US Central Command said the two US-flagged ships were “safely headed on their journey” after transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed since the US and Israel launched the war in late February. It said Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf were helping to restore traffic.

Its statement on X said that US destroyers had also transited the strait. It did not say when the Navy ships arrived or when the merchant vessels departed.

Iran claimed, meanwhile, that it had fired two missiles at a US Navy vessel as it attempted to transit through the strait.

The US military denied the claim by the Fars news agency that one of its Navy ships was hit by Iranian missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, after the outlet reported a US vessel was “targeted in a missile attack after ignoring a warning from the naval forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“No US Navy ships have been struck,” US Central Command said. “US forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports.”

While denying that any ships were hit, CENTCOM did not mention whether any US Navy vessels came under fire but weren’t struck.

Citing local sources, Fars reported that the vessel was “unable to continue its course following the strikes and was forced to retreat and flee the area.”

The flare-up, which exacerbates an already shaky ceasefire, came a day after US President Donald Trump said the American military would guide trapped ships through the blockaded waterway and respond “forcefully” to any interference in the operation.

In response, Iran’s military vowed US forces would be attacked if they entered the Strait of Hormuz.

“We warn that any foreign armed force — especially the aggressive US military — will be attacked if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz,” said Iran’s military chief Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.

“We have repeatedly stated that the security of the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and under all circumstances, any safe passage must be coordinated with these forces,” he added.

Meanwhile, the US-led Joint Maritime Information Center said an “enhanced security area” was set up south of typical shipping routes, and urged mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities “due to anticipated high traffic volume.”

Passing close to the usual routes “should be considered extremely hazardous due to the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated,” the task force said.

In a statement early Monday, the US Central Command said it would support “Project Freedom” with 15,000 military personnel and more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, along with warships and drones.

“The mission, directed by the president, will support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor,” CENTCOM said, adding that the effort would combine “diplomatic action with military coordination.”

According to two senior US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal, US Navy warships will not currently escort vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The officials described “Project Freedom” as more of an international shipping coordination effort.

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.

By Monday evening, the US military had destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted cruise missiles and drones launched by Tehran in a bid to hamper operations in the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper said.

He said he “strongly advised” Iranian forces to remain clear of US military assets. He reiterated that a US blockade of Iran that prevents ships from going to Iran or departing Iranian territory also remained in effect and was exceeding expectations.

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.

The US imposed its own blockade on Iran-linked shipping on April 13, five days after Trump announced a truce in Iran.

Talks to bring the war to an end have faltered over the strait’s postwar control, among other issues.

The strait normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil shipments, and its closure has sent energy prices soaring worldwide, with the benchmark Brent crude oil shooting up more than five percent on Monday amid the intensifying tensions.

Hundreds of ships and as many as 20,000 seafarers have also been unable to transit the strait during the conflict, according to the International Maritime Organization, and crews stuck because of the closure are running low on food and other supplies.

The Trump administration has been seeking help from other countries to form an international coalition to secure shipping in the strait, and dozens of countries led by the UK and France are working to assemble a coalition to reopen the strait once peace is secured.

Speaking to reporters in Armenia’s capital Yerevan on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would not participate in “unclear” military operations to reopen Hormuz.

“What we want above all is a coordinated reopening by the United States and Iran — that is the only solution for reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” Macron said, as he attended a meeting of European leaders. “We are not going to take part in any military operation in a framework that to me seems unclear.”

Jacob Magid contributed to this report.