What to know as U.S. tries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
The ceasefire in the Iran war faced what U.S. officials described as its most perilous moment Monday after the United States started trying to open the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, seeking to allow hundreds of stranded merchant vessels to leave the area. The move came after the war disrupted maritime traffic for weeks, leaving supplies of oil, gas, fertilizer and other goods stuck in the bottleneck, with U.S. officials warning that interference with the effort would have to be handled forcefully.
The effort, unveiled by President Donald Trump as “Project Freedom,” was intended to help ships that had been waiting amid the fighting, even as skepticism grew among shippers over whether conditions were safe enough to risk crews and cargo. AP reported that few vessels initially appeared to take advantage of the plan, and the U.S. said two U.S.-flagged merchant ships transited successfully with its help.
Monday brought warnings of renewed pressure at sea
In the lead-up to Monday’s developments, the United States said its military-aided push in the strait included guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members, though it did not detail how those assets were deployed. Oil prices rose Monday as uncertainty continued around the strait and Washington’s approach, which Trump described as humanitarian in nature for countries that he said were “neutral and innocent” in the conflict.
The U.S. described Iran’s actions as escalatory. Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. Central Command, said Iran initiated the “aggressive behavior,” and he declined to say whether the ceasefire was over. Cooper also said the U.S. military on Monday sank six small Iranian boats that were targeting civilian vessels, and he said Iran launched missiles and drones at ships the U.S. was protecting.
The developments also drew immediate reactions from the region. The United Arab Emirates said it came under attack for the first time since the early April ceasefire, and a British military monitor said two cargo vessels were ablaze off the UAE, AP reported.
Iran rejects the effort as a ceasefire violation
Iran, which has effectively closed the strait at different points during the conflict, said it would not allow the U.S. effort to proceed without consequence. Iranian military command said ships still had to coordinate with Tehran to transit the strait, and it warned that “any foreign military force — especially the aggressive U.S. military — that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” AP reported via the state broadcaster.
Iran’s position extended to the ceasefire itself. AP reported that Iran called the U.S. effort a violation of the fragile, three-week ceasefire. The report also said Iranian state media described Trump’s plan as part of his “delirium,” while Iranian news agencies claimed Iran struck a U.S. vessel southeast of the strait, an allegation the U.S. military denied.
Concerns also continued about mines in the waterway. Cooper said the U.S. military had cleared a pathway in the strait and established a “defensive umbrella” that included helicopters and fighter planes to protect freighters leaving.
Shipping groups say guidance is lacking as mines and threats persist
Even with U.S. efforts to create safer passage, the U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center said the overall threat level remained critical. The center issued an advisory on the new U.S. effort while warning ships away from normal routes, saying passing close to usual routes “should be considered extremely hazardous” because mines in the area had not been fully surveyed and mitigated.
The center advised ships to cross the strait in Oman’s waters and said the U.S. had set up an “enhanced security area.” It also urged mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities because of anticipated high traffic volume, though AP reported that the forecast did not match the early signs of movement Monday.
AP reported that caution and skepticism were growing in the shipping industry in part because of limited details from Washington. Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer for the Baltic and International Maritime Council, said no formal guidance or details about the effort had been issued to the industry. He said that without Iran’s consent for safe transit, “it is currently not clear whether the Iranian threat to ships can be degraded or suppressed,” and he questioned whether the U.S. effort was sustainable long term or envisioned as a limited operation. Larsen warned of “a risk of hostilities breaking out again” if it proceeded.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told journalists that “There’s not much clarity at this point,” as officials and shippers tried to determine whether the ceasefire would hold.
What to watch next
As “Project Freedom” moved from announcement into action, the central question for shipping and markets became whether U.S. escort efforts could reduce risks fast enough to change behavior on the water without triggering broader clashes. With Iran disputing the effort as a ceasefire violation and maritime security officials warning about mines and critical threats, Monday’s reports underscored how quickly the situation near the strait could escalate even amid a fragile pause in fighting.
In this context, U.S. and Iranian statements—along with claims and counterclaims from regional officials—set the tone for whether commercial traffic resumes and whether the ceasefire continues to survive its latest test.