US Launches Hormuz Patrols Amid Tensions

U.S. Initiates Strait of Hormuz Operation The United States launched "Project Freedom" on Monday to facilitate the passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, following an Iranian blockade that has trapped over 850 ships since late February. This operation, announced by former President Trump, aims to provide coordination and guidance for commercial shipping along a southern route, primarily through Omani territorial waters, without direct military escorts.

The initiative commenced amidst heightened tensions and conflicting reports of military engagements in the region.

The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) reported that U.S.

forces destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones. Concurrently, Centcom asserted that two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels successfully transited the strait, while U.S.

Navy guided-missile destroyers began patrolling the Gulf. Iran, however, denied these claims and reported hitting a U.S.

frigate with two missiles, a claim the U.S. did not confirm.

An oil tanker operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, MV Barakah, reportedly came under Iranian drone attack off the coast of Oman, with no injuries reported.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) defense ministry stated it intercepted three missiles fired from Iran over its territorial waters, with a fourth impacting the sea. The U.S.

operation follows a Pakistani-brokered ceasefire in early April that failed to reopen the strait, leaving an estimated 20,000 sailors stranded. International response to "Project Freedom" has been cautious, with French President Emmanuel Macron suggesting a coordinated U.S.-Iran reopening is necessary.

The U.S. has established an "enhanced security area" south of pre-war shipping lanes to support the initiative.