As tensions in the Middle East again reach dangerous levels, they traded fresh attacks in the Persian Gulf on Monday, putting them at the center of an escalating conflict. Against a backdrop of a fragile and contested “end” to hostilities, the two sides are testing the limits of their power through conflicting naval blockades, threatening to upend any prospect of stability in the region.
The new waves of missiles and drones came after the , launched a new effort to get stranded tankers and other ships through the straits.
By day’s end, several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions, with the US saying it had destroyed six Iranian warships, while an oil port in the United Arab Emirates, home to a major US military base, was engulfed in flames by Iranian missiles.
Trump gave few details of his new initiative, aimed at helping stranded ships cross the straits, when he announced it on social media, two days after a deadline for a US law requiring him to get congressional approval for the war expired. Trump told Congress that the war was “over” and that the deadline was no longer meaningful, a claim disputed by some lawmakers.
It was the first apparent attempt to use military force since the ceasefire was announced last month, aimed at opening the world’s most important maritime energy route, which Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has said can only be opened with its own permission. The cost of marine insurance has also skyrocketed. For weeks, the US Navy has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian trade, which Tehran considers an act of war.
Boomerang spinning motion
But Trump’s latest move, at least initially, appeared to backfire, failing to increase commercial shipping, while prompting an expected show of force from Iran, which has threatened to respond to any escalation with new attacks on neighboring countries that host US troops. Major shipping companies said they would likely wait for an agreed end to hostilities before attempting to cross the straits.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that Monday’s events showed that there is no military solution to the crisis. He said peace talks were progressing with the mediation of Pakistan, while warning the US and the UAE not to get caught in a “quagmire of malicious actors”.
“Project Freedom is Project Deadlock,” he wrote on social media.
Nevertheless, the US military said that, without specifying when, accompanied by anti-destroyed guided missiles. Although Iran denied there had been any crossings in recent hours, Maersk said the US-flagged Alliance Fairfax exited the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz escorted by the US military on Monday.
The commander of US forces in the region said his fleet destroyed six small Iranian vessels, which Tehran also denied. Adm. Brad Cooper said he “strongly recommended” that Iranian forces stay away from US military assets conducting the mission.
Iranian authorities have released a map of what they say is an expanded maritime area under their control, extending well beyond the straits and including large parts of the UAE’s coastline.
South Korea said one of its merchant ships, the HMM Namu, suffered an engine room explosion and fire while in the straits, with no injuries reported. A spokesman said it was unclear whether the fire was caused by an attack or an internal problem.
Britain’s maritime safety agency UKMTO said two ships were hit off the UAE coast, while oil company ADNOC said an empty tanker was hit by Iranian drones.
Iranian missile attack on UAE
After drone and missile attacks inside the UAE throughout the day, including one that caused a fire in Fujairah, a major oil port. The UAE said the Iranian attacks constituted a serious escalation and reserved the right to respond. Fujairah lies across the straits, making it one of the few Middle East oil export routes that does not require crossing them.
The UAE government also announced that distance learning is being implemented for students for security reasons.
Iranian state TV reported that military officials confirmed attacks against the UAE in response to “adventurism by the US military”.
Earlier, Iran said it opened fire on a US warship approaching the straits, forcing it to move away. Initial reports said a US ship had been hit, but the US denied this and later Iranian officials said it was a warning shot.
Rising oil prices
Oil prices rose more than 5% in a volatile session after reports of an intensification of Iranian attacks.
Iran’s unified command has informed merchant ships and tankers that they must coordinate with its armed forces.
“We warn that any foreign armed force, particularly the aggressive US military, will be attacked if it attempts to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz,” it said.
The US and Israel suspended bombing of Iran four weeks ago, and US and Iranian officials have held a round of direct peace talks. However, efforts for further meetings failed.
Iranian state media said on Sunday the U.S. passed through Pakistan and that Tehran is reviewing it. Neither side provided details.
The Iranian proposal calls for postponing discussion of Iran’s nuclear energy and research programs until there is an agreement to end the war and resolve the standoff over shipping. Trump said over the weekend that he is still studying it but will likely reject it.
The latest US intelligence figures show limited damage to Iran’s nuclear program — which Tehran maintains is purely peaceful — since the start of the war, according to officials who spoke to Reuters. Iran’s nuclear facilities were bombed by the US and Israel in attacks last year. Trump is seeking the removal of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium to prevent it from being further processed to levels that could allow a nuclear weapon to be built.
