US claims to have destroyed several Iranian cutters. Fujairah attacked by drones

A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Illustrative photo: Getty Images

On Monday, the US stated that it had destroyed several Iranian cutters, while the United Arab Emirates reported that the country had been attacked by Iran, writes the BBC.

After American warships entered the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, President Donald Trump stated that Iran "launched several attacks on non-conflict-related countries," including a South Korean vessel.

Trump again called on other countries to intensify their efforts and provide greater support to the US in ensuring the security of trade in the region.

"Perhaps it's time for South Korea to join this mission," he said.

He added that American forces had "damaged" seven small Iranian military cutters. Earlier, an American admiral stated that six such vessels had been destroyed, but Tehran denied they were sunk.

"The US statement that they sank several Iranian military cutters is not true," Iranian state television quoted a senior Iranian military official as saying.

Following reports of drone and missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates throughout the day, UAE authorities stated that new attacks from Iran represent a serious escalation of the conflict and reserved the right to retaliate.

"Project Freedom"

Earlier, the US stated that American missile destroyers, as well as commercial vessels flying the US flag, had reached the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a new operation to restore maritime navigation on this strategically important route. Iran denies this. At the same time, the UAE reported that the country had been attacked by Iran.

"Warships are currently in the Persian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz as part of Operation 'Project Freedom'," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on X, referring to the operation announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday.

"American forces are actively facilitating efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping," CENTCOM stated, adding that "two US-flagged commercial vessels successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz and are continuing their journey."

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) called the US statements about vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz "an outright lie."

Iranian state media published a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which said that "in recent hours," "not a single commercial vessel or oil tanker" had passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC warns that any actions contrary to the instructions of the IRGC naval forces are "fraught with serious risks."

BBC Verify, the BBC's information verification team, reviewed data from the MarineTraffic vessel tracking service and has not yet identified vessels matching the US description but continues to monitor website updates.

Earlier on Monday, Iran stated that it had launched a missile strike on a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian military officials reported that Iranian naval forces "issued a warning and fired warning shots in the direction of advancing enemy destroyers."

According to them, American destroyers turned off their radars before entering the strait and were "immediately detected" after turning them back on.

Iranian military officials also added that the destroyers received a radio warning "about the dangers of violating the ceasefire regime," as well as another warning that "any attempt to enter the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire and will entail retaliatory measures from the naval forces."

The report states that warning shots were fired after the Americans "ignored" the warning, however, CENTCOM reported that "no US Navy vessel was affected."

On Sunday, Trump stated that the US would begin assisting vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf due to Iran's actions. He called the operation a humanitarian gesture, warning that he would use force against those who would obstruct the process.

"In the interests of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have informed these countries that we will provide safe escort for their vessels from these waters closed to navigation," he wrote on Sunday on the social network Truth Social, without specifying which countries would receive this assistance.

It is estimated that since the start of the conflict between the US and Iran in February, about 20,000 sailors and 2,000 vessels have been stranded in the area.

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