U.S. Starts 'Project Freedom' Escorts in Hormuz as Iran Challenges Passage and UAE Reports Strikes

Overview

• CENTCOM, which began escorts Monday, said two U.S.-flagged merchant ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz under protection as U.S. forces downed Iranian drones and missiles and destroyed six small attack boats.
• Iranian state media claimed missiles hit a U.S. warship near Jask, a claim CENTCOM denied, highlighting dueling narratives that are hard to verify at sea.
• The United Arab Emirates reported Iranian attacks on an ADNOC tanker and on Fujairah oil storage, with three people hurt and a warning that it may respond.
• Maersk said its U.S.-flagged vehicle carrier Alliance Fairfax left the Gulf under U.S. escort, while South Korea reported an explosion and fire on one of its ships with no casualties.
• The blockade has stranded hundreds of ships and about 20,000 sailors near the world’s key oil chokepoint, and with prices jumping above $110 a barrel, a fragile ceasefire and fitful Pakistan-backed talks leave high odds of further escalation.