Iran issues Strait of Hormuz threat after Trump says US to guide vessels
Iran issued a threat over the Strait of Hormuz after President Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. would assist in freeing up vessels in the vital waterway.
“Iran’s armed forces, just like in the 40-day war, will not allow passage to American combat forces, and any transit in the Strait of Hormuz will also not be permitted without authorization from Iran’s armed forces,” a military source told Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, a semiofficial outlet associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a post on the social platform X translated from Persian by the artificial intelligence tool Grok .
On Sunday, Trump said that the U.S. would assist in freeing ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the oil industry that has been closed during the conflict with Iran .
“For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, 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 Truth Social post that evening.
The president said the effort, which he called “Project Freedom,” would start Monday morning, “Middle East time.”
The Iranian military has throttled shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict against the Middle Eastern country, causing higher oil prices. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. is currently around $4.46 , up from around $3.17 last year.
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) on Monday dismissed a claim from Iranian state media that a U.S. warship was hit by Iranian missiles.
“TRUTH: No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports,” Centcom added.
Centcom said in a post on X later Monday that two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels had successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.
“U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom,” it said. “American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping.”
Updated: 10:23 a.m. EDT
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