US-Iran War Highlights: ‘Project Freedom is Project Deadlock,’ says Iran over Hormuz tensions

US-Iran War LIVE: 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.

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. (AP)

US-Iran War LIVE: The US Central Command on Monday debunked reports that emerged in Iranian state media, which claimed that an American warship was struck with missiles.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said that none of its ships was struck and that the American forces continue to support Project Freedom as the naval blockade on Iranian ports continues.

"CLAIM: Iranian state media claims that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hit a U.S. warship with two missiles.

TRUTH: No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports", CENTCOM wrote on X. (ANI)

US-Iran War LIVE: Fire broke out at bulk carrier owned by korean shipper HMM, it is not clear whether fire caused by attack or internally, says HMM spokesperson

US-Iran War LIVE: The U.S. military said Monday that two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz and that Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf were helping to restore shipping traffic. It separately denied Iran’s claims to have struck an American Navy vessel.

The announcement came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new initiative to help guide ships through the critical waterway for global energy. Iran has effectively closed the strait since the U.S. and Israel started the war on Feb. 28, rattling the global economy.

The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center has advised ships to cross the strait in Oman’s waters, saying it set up an “enhanced security area.” U.S. Central Command did not say when the Navy ships arrived or when the merchant vessels departed. (AP)

US-Iran War LIVE: Trump on Monday said Two US flagged merchant vessels successfully transit Strait of Hormuz.

US-Iran War LIVE: The US military on Monday denied claims that Iran struck a Navy vessel as US forces now offer to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds have been stuck since the Iran war began. Tehran, over the past two months, has attacked some vessels and blocked others that don't receive its authorisation.

Iranian news agencies, including the semiofficial Fars and the Iranian Labour News Agency, claimed that Iran struck a US vessel near an Iranian port southeast of the strait, accusing it of "violating maritime security and navigation norms." The reports said the vessel was forced to turn back.

The US Central Command said on social media that "no US Navy ships have been struck." (AP)

US-Iran War LIVE: American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, according to Reuters. It added that US Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of “Project Freedom.”

CENTCOM also said two US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, signalling initial progress in stabilising movement through the critical global shipping corridor, Reuters reported.

US-Iran War LIVE: The United Arab Emirates on Monday accused Iran of targeting an empty crude oil tanker owned by ADNOC with drones as it transited the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters. ADNOC’s maritime logistics unit said the vessel, Barakah, was empty at the time of the attack and no injuries were reported.

The UAE foreign ministry called the strike “unprovoked” and urged Iran to halt hostilities and ensure the full reopening of the strategic waterway. The development comes amid heightened tensions after Iran restricted movement of non-Iranian ships in the Gulf following US and Israeli strikes, while a UK maritime agency earlier reported a tanker hit by projectiles near Fujairah, Reuters said.

US-Iran War LIVE: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he has “strongly advised” his Iranian counterpart that Tehran must be prepared to negotiate an end to the conflict with the United States. Speaking at a press conference in Athens, he also asserted that NATO’s deterrence capability in Europe would not see any shortfall, as per an Al Jazeera report.

His remarks come after the US military announced plans last week to withdraw around 5,000 troops from Germany over the next six to twelve months, amid ongoing strains between Washington and its European ally linked to the US-Israel war on Iran.

US-Iran War LIVE: US military on Monday denied that one of its ships hit in Strait of Hormuz, news agency AFP reported.

US-Iran War LIVE: Iran said it had forced a US warship to turn back from entering the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, but a US official denied a report that it had been struck by Iranian missiles, according to an Axios journalist.

Iran's navy said it had prevented "American-Zionist" warships entering the Strait of Hormuz area by issuing a "swift and decisive warning".

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said two missiles had hit the warship near the port of Jask at the southern entrance to the strait, where Iran's navy has a base, but a senior U.S. official immediately denied the report, Axios' Barak Ravid said. (Reuters)

US-Iran War LIVE: Iran's navy prevented "American-Zionist" warships entering the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, state TV reported, while the Fars news agency said two missiles had hit a U.S. warship near Jask island after it ignored Iranian warnings.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports, and there was no immediate response from the United States.

Iran had warned U.S. forces on Monday not to enter the strategic waterway after President Donald Trump said the United States would "guide out" ships stranded in the Gulf by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. (Reuters)

US-Iran War LIVE: Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that the United States must reduce its demands on the Islamic republic, with negotiations stalled over ending the two-month-long Middle East war.

"At this stage, our priority is to end the war," he said in a briefing broadcast by state television. "The other side must commit to a reasonable approach and abandon its excessive demands regarding Iran." (AFP)

US-Iran War LIVE: The Iranian military has asserted that "the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in the hands of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and that any safe passage and navigation in any situation will be carried out in coordination with the armed forces".

According to Al Jazeera, this defiant proclamation serves as a direct challenge to Washington's escalating naval presence in the region.

The official military communique, circulated by Iranian state media, appears to be a pointed reaction to US President Donald Trump's recent declaration of a naval mission.

The US operation, intended to escort stranded vessels out of the strategic waterway, is reportedly scheduled to commence within the coming hours. (ANI)

US-Iran War LIVE: Iran's military warned on Monday that US forces would be attacked if they entered the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump said the United States would begin escorting ships through the waterway.

Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran took effect on April 8, with Tehran's stranglehold on the strait a main point of contention.

Trump said on Sunday that the new maritime operation, which he dubbed "Project Freedom", was a "humanitarian" gesture for crews aboard the many ships swept up in the blockade who may be running low on food and other supplies.

"We will use best efforts to get their Ships and Crews safely out of the Strait. In all cases, they said they will not be returning until the area becomes safe for navigation," Trump posted on Truth Social, saying operations would begin on Monday. (AFP)

US-Iran War LIVE: The United States on Monday kicked off an effort to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, as it tries to counter economic disruptions that outlasted the peak of fighting with no peace deal in sight.

A day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced what he called “Project Freedom,” the Joint Maritime Information Center said Monday that the U.S. had set up an “enhanced security area” south of typical shipping routes and urged mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities “due to anticipated high traffic volume.” The strait sits between Iranian and Omani territory.

The center warned that passing close to the usual routes, known as the traffic separation scheme, “should be considered extremely hazardous due the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated.”

The U.S.-led maritime task force’s announcement marked the start of the effort to revive traffic and restore confidence among commercial vessels transiting the strait. It risked unraveling the fragile ceasefire that has held even without progress on the issues that sparked the war.

It was unclear as of Monday morning whether any vessels had accepted the U.S. offer and Iran’s military command told state broadcaster IRIB on Monday that ships passing must coordinate with them.

“We warn that any foreign military force — especially the aggressive U.S. military — that intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted,” Major General Pilot Ali Abdollahi said. (AP)

US-Iran War LIVE: Iran has conveyed a "multi-layered proposal" to Washington in an attempt to break the deadlock over peace talks, a senior official familiar with the development said on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump says he is still not satisfied with Iran's new offer to end the West Asia conflict. He has also indicated that Washington is unlikely to accept any framework that does not include firm guarantees preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

The Iran war – triggered by joint strikes by the US and Israel on February 28 – has been on hold since April 8, with one round of peace talks having taken place in Islamabad since then.

Pakistan is mediating the peace talks between the US and Iran. (PTI)

US-Iran War LIVE: The US suggested a two-month ceasefire; Iran wants a complete settlement within 30 days.

US calls for dismantling enrichment facilities and ending uranium enrichment; Iran has previously insisted on its right to enrichment, with detailed changes deferred to a later stage.

The US wants unrestricted access; Iran calls for a revised regional framework and removal of blockade conditions.

The US seeks an end to Iranian support for armed groups; Iran calls for an end to regional fighting while maintaining its alliances.

The US proposes phased relief; Iran demands the complete removal of sanctions and the release of assets.

Tehran has also linked a possible deal to firm guarantees on no future attacks.

US-Iran War LIVE: Iran has put forward a 14-point peace proposal to the United States through Pakistan. This is in response to Washington’s earlier nine-point plan to end the war which began after the US and Israel bombed the Islamic State on February 28.

US-Iran War LIVE: The proposal to delay talks on nuclear issues until a later phase would appear at odds with Washington's repeated demand that Iran accept stringent restrictions on its nuclear program before the war can end.

Washington wants Tehran to give up its stockpile of more than 400 kg (900 pounds) of highly enriched uranium, which the United States says could be used to make a bomb.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, although it is willing to discuss some curbs in return for the lifting of sanctions. It had accepted such curbs in a 2015 deal that Trump abandoned.

While saying repeatedly he is in no hurry, Trump is under domestic pressure to break Iran's hold on the Strait of Hormuz, which has choked off 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies and driven up U.S. gasoline prices.

Trump's Republican Party faces the risk of a voter backlash over higher prices in midterm congressional elections due in November.

Iranian media said Tehran's 14-point proposal includes withdrawing U.S. forces from nearby areas, lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, paying compensation, lifting sanctions, ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon, and creating a new control mechanism for the strait. (Reuters)

US-Iran War LIVE: Equity markets edged higher on Monday while crude oil prices were little moved, having surged back above $100 a barrel last week amid uncertainty over when and how the conflict will be resolved.

On Sunday, Iran said it had received a U.S. response to its latest offer for peace talks a day after Trump said he would probably reject the Iranian proposal because "they have not paid a big enough price."

Trump, responding to shouted questions from reporters, said on Sunday evening talks were going "very well", without elaborating.

Iranian state media said Washington had conveyed its response to Iran's 14-point proposal via Pakistan, and that Tehran was now reviewing it. There was no immediate confirmation from Washington or Islamabad of the U.S. response.

"At this stage, we do not have nuclear negotiations," state media quoted Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.

The comment was an apparent reference to Iran's proposal to set aside talks on nuclear issues until after the war has ended and the foes have agreed to lift opposing blockades of Gulf shipping.

The United States and Israel suspended their bombing campaign against Iran four weeks ago, and U.S. and Iranian officials held one round of talks. But attempts to set up further meetings have so far failed. (Reuters)

US-Iran War LIVE: Oil prices eased on Monday after President Donald Trump said the United States would begin an effort to assist ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, but the lack of a U.S.-Iran peace deal kept the market supported above $100.

Brent crude futures fell 6 cents, or 0.1%, to $108.11 a barrel by 0400 GMT after settling down $2.23 on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was at $101.50 a barrel, down 44 cents, or 0.4%, following a $3.13 loss on Friday.

"The broader market remains tightly supported by persistent supply disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty," said Priyanka Sachdeva, analyst at Phillip Nova. (Reuters)

US-Iran War LIVE: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister spoke with Abbas Araqchi to discuss the evolving regional situation and reaffirm ongoing diplomatic efforts to ease tensions and promote stability.

US-Iran War LIVE: - President Donald Trump said the United States would start helping to free ships stranded in the Gulf by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran from Monday, as a tanker reported being hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump gave few details of the plan to aid ships and their crews that have been "locked up" in the vital waterway and are running low on food and other supplies.

"We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site on Sunday. (Reuters)