Amid these tensions, President Trump announced a temporary halt to US operations in the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to finalize an agreement with Iran. Control over the Strait remains contested, complicating the situation further.
Photo : AP
A cargo ship in the Gulf was struck by a suspected land-attack cruise missile, injuring several crew members, according to two US officials. The vessel, identified as the CGM San Antonio and owned by a French company, was hit late on Tuesday local time, the officials told CBS News. The crew members injured in the incident are understood to be Filipino nationals.
Publicly available ship-tracking data showed the vessel was near Dubai earlier on Tuesday, although it is not clear whether it has since moved. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report that “a cargo vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile”.
The incident comes amid a series of maritime security concerns in the region. Since Sunday, UKMTO has reported three other cases involving commercial vessels, including a fire on board one ship, a separate projectile strike, and an alleged attack by small craft.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest incident, and the circumstances surrounding the strike remain under investigation.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied gas typically flows, remains at the centre of tensions between the US and Iran. Since the outbreak of hostilities, traffic has dwindled to a near standstill.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced a temporary stop to the US operations in the Strait of Hormuz dubbed “Project Freedom”. “Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States had secured control of the passage. “We’re ensuring that we have control of that strait, which we do,” he said, adding that the operation was temporary and defensive in nature. “We’re not looking for a fight.”