US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it attacked US ships, as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz push the two countries to the brink of a ceasefire.
Iran attacked the United Arab Emirates on Monday, reigniting hostilities in the region, with President Trump saying U.S. forces shot down seven Iranian small boats near Hormuz.
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In an interview with Fox News, President Trump emphasized America’s military strength and reiterated the threat against Iran.
“We have more weapons and ammunition of a much higher grade than before,” he said.
“We have the best equipment. We have supplies all over the world. We have these locations all over the world. All of them are stocked with equipment. We can use all of that stuff and we will use it as needed.”
The U.S. military on Monday began implementing President Trump’s plan, “Project Freedom,” to guide ships through Hormuz and break through Iran’s blockade on strategic shipping lanes.
The U.S. government said it had helped two U.S. commercial ships pass through the strait, but traffic in the waterway remains largely halted, according to ship-tracking websites.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said the ships stranded in the area belonged to 87 countries that were “innocent bystanders” in the conflict.
“Over the past 12 hours, we have reached out to dozens of ships and shipping lines to facilitate transit through the (Strait of Hormuz), consistent with the President’s intent to help ships safely transit the narrow trade corridor,” Cooper said in a statement.
However, it is not clear how the vessel responded to the US guarantee.
Korean ship attacked
On Monday, Iran appeared to still be demonstrating the ability to target ships near the strait. South Korea confirmed that one of its ships suffered an explosion and fire off the coast of the UAE.
Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced that fires were reported on two vessels in the area.
Trump, who is trying to rally international support for a military plan to force the island of Hormuz, has cited the attack on a South Korean ship to urge the South Korean government to join his campaign.
In a social media post, the US president said: “Iran has been firing shots at unrelated countries, including South Korean cargo ships, regarding Project Freedom ship movement. Perhaps it is time for South Korea to come and join the mission.”
“We shot down seven small boats, or ‘fast’ boats as they like to call them. That’s all that was left of them. So far, there have been no casualties passing through the strait other than Korean ships.”
Iran’s state news agency IRNA quoted a military official as saying, “The US claim that it has sunk a large number of Iranian warships is false.”
Although the United States is largely self-sufficient in oil production, the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, which began on February 28, has caused global energy prices to soar.
The price of a gallon (3.8 liters) of gas or petrol in the United States has risen from less than $3 before the war to more than $4.45 on Monday, fueling inflation months before crucial midterm elections that will determine control of the U.S. Congress.
The US government’s commitment to protect shipping in the Straits has not affected energy markets. International oil prices and U.S. gasoline prices continued to rise on Monday.
Lebanese news agency al-Mayadeen quoted a senior Iranian official as saying that control of the Strait of Hormuz remains in the full hands of the Iranian government.
“Our message to the Iranian aggressors is that if they move forward, they will be targeted,” the official said.
Iran attacks UAE
Amid tensions, Iran resumed attacks on the UAE on Monday.
The UAE Ministry of Defense said its forces engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Emirate of Fujairah’s media office confirmed that an Iranian attack caused a fire in the oil industry area of Fujairah, injuring three people.
The UAE and several Gulf states condemned the attack by Iran.
“The UAE underlines that it does not tolerate any threats to its security and sovereignty under any circumstances and reserves its full and legitimate right to respond to these unprovoked attacks,” the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Iranian officials told Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Monday that the attack on Fujairah was the result of US policy.
“The Islamic Republic had no prior plans to attack the oil facilities in question, and what happened was a product of US military adventurism in creating an illegal passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and the US military must be held accountable,” the official said.
While the US is trying to pry Hormuz open, it said Iran’s port blockade continues.
Centcom announced on Monday that “50 commercial vessels have been diverted by the U.S. military” to ensure compliance with the naval encirclement.
