Dubai, May 4 (AP) The US forces on Monday launched an effort to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds have been stuck since the Iran war began.
Two American-flagged merchant ships have “successfully transited” through the critical waterway, the US military said. Separately, the US military denied Iran's claims that it struck an American Navy vessel southeast of the strait.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates on Monday said an Iranian drone sparked a fire at an oil facility in Fujairah, a key pipeline hub used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Shortly after the report, the British military said a cargo ship off the coast of the Emirates was ablaze. The UAE issued its first three missile alerts on Monday since the shaky ceasefire between Iran and the US took hold almost four weeks ago.
Iran handed over its latest proposal for negotiations with the US to mediators in Pakistan, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Friday. Trump subsequently said he's “not satisfied” with it, but did not elaborate on the proposal's apparent shortcomings. The shaky ceasefire between the US and Iran has lasted for three weeks.
Here's the latest:
UN reiterates need for freedom of navigation in Strait of Hormuz but opposes military activity
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UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations is “still trying to fully understand” exactly what US statements saying the vital Strait of Hormuz is open.
Reports of an exchange of fire in the strait, which had carried about 20% of the world's crude oil and the United Arab Emirates intercepting Iranian missiles are “concerning,” he said.
“There's not much clarity at this point, but what we do not want to see is a return to outright kinetic activity in this area,” Dujarric said.
“We need to see a return of what has been centuries of practice of common law, which is freedom of navigation in these waters,” he told U.N. reporters on Monday.
Israel closely watching developments in Gulf
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Israel's military is closely monitoring the developments in the Gulf and remains on high alert, according to a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines.
The official added that there are currently no changes expected in guidelines for Israel's civilians, including limitations on the size of gatherings, that are implemented during times of war.
Cooper does not offer details about whether US was protecting sites that came under Iranian attack
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Asked whether the US was protecting sites in the United Arab Emirates that came under Iranian attack, Cooper said he didn't want to go into details.
The head of US Central Command told reporters Monday that the “UAE has exceptional capability. They're well-positioned to defend themselves.”
Authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah said an Iranian drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three Indian nationals. The British military also reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE.
Cooper says the Fujairah attack was “under their national jurisdiction” and not part of the new American effort to get commercial ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
UAE airspace nearly empty as warning sirens blare
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The airspace over the UAE was nearly empty Monday night as the country faced multiple sirens warning of incoming drones, according to the flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
Just days ago, the airport, which is among the world's busiest, had announced it had mostly returned to full operations.
UAE condemns Iranian attacks
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The United Arab Emirates condemned what it called “renewed treacherous Iranian aggression” targeting civilian sites that left three people injured, and called for an immediate halt to the attacks.
“These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable violation,” the UAE's foreign ministry said in a statement on X, adding that the UAE reserves the right to respond in a way that protects its sovereignty and security.
Cooper says Iran initiated aggressive behavior' in Strait of Hormuz
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In his call with reporters, Cooper declined to say whether the ceasefire between Iran and the US was over or not, but noted that it was Iran that “initiated aggressive behavior” in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.
Cooper said the US military is serving as a defensive force “to give a very clear defense to commercial shipping, to allow them to proceed out of the Arabian Gulf.”
“That's what we're focused on,” Cooper said. “What we saw this morning was Iran initiating aggressive behaviors. We are simply going to respond to that.”
US military clears pathway in Strait of Hormuz that is free of Iranian mines
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Cooper said the US military has been able to clear a pathway in the Strait of Hormuz that is free of any Iranian mines in an effort to allow commercial vessels to transit the narrow waterway.
Cooper said US military also has set up a “defensive umbrella” that includes American helicopters and fighter planes to protect the freighters leaving the strait.
US military says it sunk 6 Iranian small boats that were targeting civilian vessels -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adm. Brad Cooper, who heads US Central Command, said US military helicopters have sunk six Iranian small boats that were targeting civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
It is the latest test of the ceasefire between Iran and the US
US military says Iran has launched missiles, drones and small boats at ships the US is protecting in Strait of Hormuz
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Iran has launched multiple cruise missiles, drones and small boats at ships the US military is protecting, a top commander said Monday.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, said during a news conference that “each and every one” of the threats had been defeated.
Cargo ship on fire off the coast of the UAE as the nation warned of incoming attacks from Iran
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The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center announced the fire on the ship, saying it was in the vessel's engine room. It said the ship's crew was accounted for.
UAE's eastern emirate of Fujairah says an Iranian drone sparked a fire at an oil facility
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fujairah is the terminus of a pipeline the United Arab Emirates has used to avoid shipping some of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz in the Iran war.
The UAE on Monday issued its first three missile alerts since a ceasefire took hold.
Iran's military command says ships passing through the strait must coordinate with them
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“We warn that any foreign military force — especially the aggressive US military — that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi told state broadcaster IRIB on Monday.
UAE issues another missile alert as tensions rise over the Strait of Hormuz
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The United Arab Emirates issued the alert without saying what prompted it.
It was the second such alert Monday, after there had been none in recent weeks following the Iran ceasefire.
Authorities haven't provided further details on either alert. An all-clear signal was issued minutes after the first alert. There were no immediate reports of casualties. (AP) AMS