US Reports Striking Iranian Boats in Strait of Hormuz Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions

By George Wright

7 hours ago

Fujairah serves as the UAE's largest port and oil storage facility.

The United States military reported striking seven Iranian "fast boats" in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, as part of efforts to escort commercial vessels through the waterway, which has been largely impassable since late February.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the strikes targeted "seven small boats or, as they like to call them, 'fast' boats," describing them as "all they have left." The U.S. military specified that helicopters were used in the operation. Iranian state media, citing a military source via the Tasnim news agency, disputed the claim, reporting that two small cargo vessels were hit instead, resulting in five civilian deaths. No immediate U.S. response to the Iranian account was reported.

The incidents occurred against the backdrop of the Strait of Hormuz blockade, which began after U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026. Those strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his daughter, and grandchild, as well as Iran's defense minister and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The U.S. and Israel cited the strikes as a response to prior Iranian actions, including over 300 missiles and drones launched at Israel in October 2024 and April 2025, and an Iranian attack on U.S. bases in Jordan in early 2024 that killed three American service members.

Iran subsequently blocked the strait, through which approximately 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes. The U.S. also imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. In early April 2026, the U.S. and Iran announced a ceasefire, under which Iran halted drone and missile strikes on Gulf states including the UAE. However, few vessels have transited the strait since then.

Shipping company Maersk reported that one of its U.S.-flagged vessels, the Alliance Fairfax, exited the strait on Monday after being stranded in the Gulf since the U.S. and Israeli strikes. Maersk stated it was contacted by U.S. authorities and "offered the opportunity for the vessel to exit the Gulf under US military protection." The company added: "The vessel subsequently exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by US military assets," with the transit "completed without incident, and all crew members are safe and unharmed."

Trump has referred to these escort efforts as "Project Freedom." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that events in the strait "make clear that there's no military solution to a political crisis" and called the initiative "Project Deadlock."

The U.S. military also reported that navy destroyers and U.S.-flagged merchant ships sailed through the strait on Monday. Iran denied this, stating its military fired warning shots at a U.S. warship; the U.S. rejected the claim.

Separately, the UAE foreign ministry reported that a tanker affiliated with its state-owned oil company Adnoc was hit in the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea reported an explosion on one of its ships anchored off the UAE coast.

UAE authorities stated that air defenses intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four drones. Officials noted one strike caused a fire and three injuries at the Fujairah oil port. These Fujairah incidents occurred in March 2026, specifically on March 14 and 16, when drones were intercepted, leading to fires; they were not new events on Monday. India's foreign ministry confirmed the three injured were Indian nationals and described the Fujairah attack as "unacceptable." Abu Dhabi labeled the attacks a "dangerous escalation" and reserved the right to respond. Iranian state television quoted an unnamed military official saying Iran had "no plans to target the UAE."

International reactions included condemnations of the attacks on UAE infrastructure. French President Emmanuel Macron called the strikes "unjustified and unacceptable." British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would continue to "support the defence of our partners in the Gulf." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged an end to the strait blockade, stating "Tehran must return to the negotiating table and stop holding the region and the world hostage." Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry, in a post on X, called on Iran to "respect the principles of good neighborliness." Neighboring Qatar condemned the Adnoc tanker attack and called for the strait's "unconditional reopening."

Benchmark Brent crude oil prices stood around $113 per barrel following the reports, down from earlier levels.

Fujairah is located on the UAE's eastern coast along the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz. A pipeline from Abu Dhabi's oilfields connects to Fujairah, enabling limited crude exports despite the strait blockade.

In Oman, state media reported two people were injured when a residential building in Bukha, along the Strait of Hormuz coastline, was targeted on Monday.

On Sunday, Trump announced the U.S. would assist stranded vessels in the strait under what he termed "Project Freedom." An estimated 20,000 seafarers on about 2,000 ships have been stuck since the U.S.-Iran conflict began in February. Trump said countries worldwide had requested U.S. help to free their "neutral and innocent" ships, adding that force would be used "if, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with." He did not detail the mechanics of the transits.

Concerns have mounted over dwindling supplies and the impact on sailors' physical and mental health.

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