The US says it has prevented an Iranian attack on 3 naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz
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The US military said it was involved in an attack on three US military vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and “targeted Iranian military facilities that are responsible for attacking US forces.”
The exchange took place on Thursday when American destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz, the US Central Command said in a social media post. U.S. forces repelled an “unrepentant Iranian attack” and responded with defensive strikes, he said.
The US military said no ships were hit. It said it did not want to escalate but “remains in position and ready to protect American forces.”
Iranian media said the country’s military fired on “the enemy” on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It is the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, with a population of about 150,000. It also has a desalination plant.
Iranian media also reported loud noise and defensive fire west of Tehran. In southern Iran, an explosion was heard near Bandar Abbas, Iranian news agencies said. Reports from Fars and Tasnim sources did not reveal the origin of the explosion.
Iran creates shipping control agency
Earlier in the day, a shipping data company reported that Iran had created a government agency to monitor tax vessels seeking to pass through the vital Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran said it was reviewing the latest US proposals to end the conflict.
Iran’s move to delegitimize control of the channel has raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial vessels locked in the Persian Gulf and unable to access the open sea. Nevertheless, I hope that the two-month conflict can pass quickly in the international markets.
The agency, called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, “positions itself as the official authority to grant permission for ships passing through the sea,” Lloyd reported in an online forum. Lloyd’s said the authorities had sent an application form by email for ships wanting to pass.
The new Iranian agency formalized an existing, albeit murky, route that takes ships through the waters of the northern strait near the Iranian coast. Iran controls which ships are allowed to pass and, at least on some ships, imposes taxes on its goods.
Maritime law experts say Iran’s demands to inspect ships or tax vessels violate international law. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea calls on countries to allow peaceful passage through their territorial waters.
The US and its Gulf allies want the UN Security Council to support a resolution condemning Iran’s interference in the road and threatening sanctions. A previous decision calling for the reopening of the strait was opposed by Iran’s allies Russia and China.
Mixed messages from the US
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the Islamic Republic is reviewing messages from Pakistan, which mediates peace talks, but Iran “has not reached a conclusion, and no response has been given by the US side,” Iranian state TV reported.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed peace efforts in the Middle East at the Vatican with Pope Leo XIV, whose opposition to the Iran war led to a conflict with President Donald Trump.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry is reviewing the Trump administration’s proposal to end the war, according to a spokesman. The United States and Iran remain at loggerheads over several key issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, control of the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s actions in Lebanon.
The Trump administration has sent mixed messages about its strategy to end the war. A strict ceasefire and earlier declarations that military operations were over have given way to fresh threats of bombing if Tehran does not accept a deal allowing re-exports of oil and natural gas disrupted by the conflict.
Trump also halted the US military’s attempt to open a safe zone for commercial shipping in the corridor, saying the relaxation would allow more time to reach a peace agreement. An official in Saudi Arabia said Thursday that the kingdom, a US ally, refused to support Trump’s efforts to reopen the road by force.
A ceasefire between the US and Iran has been in place since April 8. But talks between the two countries hosted by Pakistan last month failed to reach an agreement. The war began on Feb. 28, when the US and Israel launched an attack against Iran.
Pakistan says it expects an agreement soon
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke on the phone on Thursday with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.
“We expect an agreement soon,” said Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi on Thursday. “We hope that the parties will reach a peaceful and sustainable solution that will contribute not only to peace in our region but also to international peace.”
He declined to give a timeline.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking on television, said Islamabad remains “in constant communication with Iran and the United States, day and night, to stop the war and extend the ceasefire.”
In other regional developments, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to resume next week in Washington, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door meetings. The official said that the talks will be held on May 14 and 15.
