The US has denied an Iranian media report that one of its warships was struck by Iranian missiles as it tried to enter the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement that “no US Navy ships have been struck” and forces are “enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports”.
It came after Fars, the semi-official Iranian news agency, said two missiles hit a US Navy boat sailing through the strait after ignoring a warning from Iran’s Navy.
Centcom later said two US-flagged merchant vessels had “successfully transited” through the strait.
Earlier, Iran’s military warned that it would attack any foreign forces if they entered the strait, “especially, the aggressive US army”.
Speaking to Reuters, a senior Iranian official said Iran had fired a warning shot against the US warship to prevent its entry to the strait, adding that it is unclear if there was damage.
Iranian media also reported that it had prevented American and Israeli “enemy destroyers” from entering the strait on Monday.
US President Donald Trump had earlier announced that the US on Monday would begin trying to free merchant ships stranded by Iran’s closure of the key shipping channel since the start of the war.
Trump said “Project Freedom” was a “humanitarian gesture” and that any interference would “be dealt with forcefully”.
Some 15,000 US service personnel, guided-missile destroyers and more than 100 aircraft would be involved, Centcom said, adding that the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue.
Centcom later said two US-flagged merchant vessels had “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz”, but did not provide the names of the vessels.
“American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping,” it said.
The move comes as the two countries observe a temporary ceasefire, which began on 8 April, and as they work on agreeing on a permanent peace plan.
However a senior Iranian official warned that any US attempt to interfere in the strait would be considered a violation of the ceasefire.
Iran’s closure of the channel – which is crucial to oil exports from the Gulf – has seen fuel prices rise globally and also left thousands of sailors stranded on some 2,000 ships trapped by the blockade.
About 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through the strait.
In Trump’s post on social media, he said “countries from all over the world” had asked the US if they could help free up the ships, describing them as “merely neutral and innocent bystanders”.
Trump added the operation will be made on behalf of the US, Iran and other Middle Eastern nations, without listing which countries. He did not provide further details on how the operation would be managed.
He also said that US representatives were having “very positive” discussions with Iran, and that those talks “could lead to something very positive for all”.
An estimated 20,000 sailors have been trapped in the Gulf since the start of the war with Iran. There has been growing concern over dwindling supplies and the effects on sailors’ physical and mental health.
The United Kingdom Maritime Transportation Operation (UKMTO) on Sunday reported that a tanker had been hit by an “unknown projectile” in the strait, adding that the crew were safe.
On Monday, the United Arab Emirates said a tanker affiliated with Adnoc, its state-owned oil company, was hit in the strait, adding that no-one was injured.
Also on Monday, the Pakistani government said 22 crew members from Iranian container ship Touska – seized by the US last month – will be “handed over to the Iranian authorities”.
The BBC was told by a senior official that 15 of them were handed to Iranian officials at the Gabd–Rimdan border crossing in Balochistan.
The official did now clarify why the remaining seven crew were not handed over.
The Touska was intercepted on its way to an Iranian port as part of the US’s blockade, with the crew evacuated to Pakistan.
Pakistan said the repatriation of the crew is “a confidence-building measure by the United States of America”.
