The fragile ceasefire in the Iran war was tested when the U.S. moved to force commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz, even as reports said Iran fired missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates. U.S. officials described the effort as an attempt to break Tehran’s effective closure of the waterway, which has blocked a major route for oil, natural gas and other petroleum-derived goods and driven global fuel prices higher.
The U.S.-led effort, described publicly as creating an “enhanced security area,” allowed two American-flagged merchant ships to transit the strait on Monday, the U.S. military said. It remained unclear whether other vessels would follow; ship-tracking data showed a Panamanian-flagged crude tanker heading toward the center of the strait after leaving an anchorage in the Gulf, but its intentions were not confirmed.
U.S. commanders said forces had cleared a passage of mines and protected civilian ships. Adm. Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command said Iran launched cruise missiles, drones and small boats during the operation; U.S. helicopters sank six of the small boats, he said. The Joint Maritime Information Center advised ships to cross the strait in Omani waters under the enhanced security arrangement.
Iran called the U.S. move a violation of the ceasefire that has held for more than three weeks and vowed to respond. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, accused Washington of undermining security in the strait and warned Tehran had not yet fully reacted to the reopening attempt. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the U.S. and UAE to avoid being “dragged back into [a] quagmire.”
President Donald Trump framed the operation as “Project Freedom,” saying the U.S. would act forcefully if Iran continued to block passage and that the move was meant to assist seafarers stranded in the Gulf since the war began.
The UAE said its air defenses engaged 15 missiles and four drones fired by Iran; authorities in Fujairah reported a drone-caused fire at a key oil facility that wounded three Indian nationals. The British military reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned attacks on civilians and infrastructure and expressed solidarity with the UAE. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also condemned strikes against the emirates, and Pakistan’s prime minister urged that the ceasefire be upheld.
Tehran did not publicly confirm the reported attacks on the UAE. The exchanges underscore how attempts to reopen the narrow strait risk reigniting full-scale fighting: Iran closed the waterway after the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, using the chokehold as leverage in negotiations and to pressure global markets.
Separately, the U.S. has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, officials say, telling dozens of commercial ships to turn back and warning shipping firms about sanctions for paying Iran for transit. U.S. officials argue the blockade has deprived Tehran of oil revenue and could push Iran toward concessions in talks over its nuclear program and other issues.
Diplomacy has made little visible progress. Iranian state-affiliated outlets described a proposal from Tehran that would require the U.S. to lift sanctions, end the blockade, withdraw forces from the region and halt all hostilities, including Israeli operations in Lebanon. Iranian officials said the proposal excludes demands related to its nuclear program and seeks an end to the war rather than an extension of the ceasefire; they said they were reviewing the U.S. response. U.S. leaders expressed skepticism about the proposal’s prospects.
For now, the situation remains volatile. The U.S. push to reopen the strait has eased immediate pressure on some stranded ships but has heightened tensions and raised the risk that the limited ceasefire could unravel, with broad implications for regional security and global energy markets.