Fars news agency reported on Monday (4 May) that Iran's navy prevented "American-Zionist" warships entering the Strait of Hormuz, and that two missiles had hit a US warship near Jask on the Gulf of Oman after it ignored Iranian warnings.
There has been no immediate response from the United States. On Sunday (3 May), United States President Donald Trump said that the United States would “guide out” ships stranded in the Gulf. Some ships have been confined to the waterway for long periods of time, and are running low on food and other supplies.
"We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site on Sunday.
Iran’s unified command told commercial ships and oil tankers to refrain from any movement that was not coordinated with Iran’s military.
"We have repeatedly said the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in our hands and that the safe passage of vessels needs to be coordinated with the armed forces," Ali Abdollahi, head of the forces' unified command, said in the statement.
"We warn that any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive U.S. Army, will be attacked if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz."
US Central Command said it would support the rescue efforts with 15,000 military personnel and more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, plus warships and drones.
"Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade," Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, said in a statement.
Update:
- US news outlet Axios cited an unnamed senior US official as denying that a US ship had been hit
- Soon after, US Central Command (Centcom) put out a statement, echoing this denial. It said no US ships had been struck and that US forces were supporting the operation "and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports"
Source: commonspace.eu with Reuters and the BBC
