US and Iran launch new attacks amid fight for control of Gulf Waters

Washington: The United States and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf on Monday as they wrestled for control of the Strait of Hormuz through duelling maritime blockades, shaking a fragile truce. The fresh volleys of missiles and drones came after U.S. President Donald Trump launched a new effort to move stranded tankers and other ships through the strait, the vital energy-trade chokepoint that has been virtually closed since the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran in February. Before Monday ended, several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires. The United States said it had destroyed six small Iranian military boats. Trump provided scant details about his new initiative, dubbed “Project Freedom,” to help stranded ships travel through the strait when he announced it on social media. The announcement came two days after a legal deadline under U.S. law had passed for him to secure congressional authorization for the war. Trump told Congress the war was “terminated” and that the deadline was therefore moot, a claim disputed by some lawmakers. It was the first apparent attempt to use military force since last month’s ceasefire announcement to unblock the world’s most important energy shipping route, which Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said can only happen with its permission. Shipping insurance costs have also surged. For weeks, the U.S. Navy has blockaded Iran’s maritime trade, which Tehran says constitutes an act of war. Trump’s latest move, however, appeared initially to have backfired, bringing no surge in merchant ship traffic while provoking a promised show of force from Iran. Tehran has threatened to respond to any escalation with new attacks on neighbouring countries hosting U.S. troops. Major shipping companies said they were likely to wait for an agreed end to hostilities before attempting to cross the strait. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, said Monday’s events showed there was no military solution to the crisis. South Korea reviews participation in Trump’s ‘Project Freedom,’ Newsis reports South Korea’s presidential office said it is reviewing whether the country can participate in U.S. President Donald Trump’s new initiative, “Project Freedom,” aimed at helping stranded ships transit the Strait of Hormuz, according to Newsis.