Stories

Mon, 04 May 2026

Mon, 04 May 2026 US denies Iranian report warship was struck by missiles

It comes as the US said on Monday it will begin to help "guide" vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz.

* Iran's Fars news agency reported that Iranian missiles hit a US Navy boat as it tried to enter the Strait of Hormuz, but US Central Command (Centcom) denied this, saying no US ships were struck.
* Centcom said two US-flagged merchant vessels had "successfully transited" through the strait and US forces are enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports.
* Iran's military warned it would attack any foreign forces entering the strait, but a senior Iranian official said they fired a warning shot against a US warship to prevent its entry.
* US President Donald Trump announced that the US will begin trying to free merchant ships stranded by Iran's closure of the key shipping channel since the start of the war as part of "Project Freedom".
* The operation involves 15,000 US service personnel, guided-missile destroyers and more than 100 aircraft, but it is unclear how it will be managed.
* Trump said any interference would be dealt with forcefully and that the US blockade of Iranian ports will continue.
* Iran's closure of the channel has seen fuel prices rise globally and left thousands of sailors stranded on some 2,000 ships trapped by the blockade.
* The two countries are observing a temporary ceasefire and working on agreeing on a permanent peace plan, but a senior Iranian official warned that any US attempt to interfere in the strait would be considered a violation of the ceasefire.