Published: 12:10 AM, 05 May 2026 Last Update: 12:10 AM, 05 May 2026
2 US-flagged merchant vessels pass through Strait of Hormuz: US military; Tehran denies
Two US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said on Monday morning.
"American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping," US Central Command said in a post on X.
The ships' successful navigation of the strait comes a day after President Donald Trump vowed to guide vessels through the waterway, where Iran is attempting to control shipping.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), however, claimed no commercial vessels or oil tankers had transited the Strait of Hormuz in recent hours, rejecting statements by US officials as "baseless" and "outright lies," according to a statement carried by Iran-semi official Tasnim News on Monday.
The IRGC said that "other maritime movements" that run contrary to principles announced by the IRGC Navy "face serious risks," and warned that vessels deemed to be in violation would be "forcibly stopped," as cited by Tasnim.
A major obstacle in the US and Iran's attempts to end the war is the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway effectively closed by Iran.
The closure of the strait has caused global oil prices to soar and inflation to rise, demonstrating just how significant it is in relation to the global economy.
EXPLOSION ROCKS SOUTH KOREAN SHIP AT STRAIT OF HORMUZ, OFFICIALS SAY:
An explosion and fire occurred Monday on a South Korean-linked vessel at the Strait the Hormuz, according to spokesperson from the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
The Panama-flagged ship was carrying 24 crew members, including six South Koreans, and docked by the strait near the United Arab Emirates before the explosion occurred. No casualties have been reported, the ministry said.
The ministry said the cause of the explosion and fire is not immediately known and that the government is checking details of the damage.
"The government will closely communicate with the relevant countries on this issue and take necessary measures for the safety of our ships and crew members within the Strait of Hormuz," the ministry added.
Twenty-six South Korea-related vessels have been stranded at the strait since the war in the Middle East began.
MELONI WARNS EUROPE MUST "STRENGTHEN OUR SECURITY" AFTER US' SPAT WITH GERMANY:
Meanwhile, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has warned that Europe must increase its "response capacity," after the White House threatened to slash US military presence in the country.
Meloni insisted the continent "must strengthen our security" at an EU leaders' summit in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, after US President Donald Trump claimed he would cut troop levels in Italy and Spain.
"I can't tell you what will happen. The US has been discussing its disengagement in Europe for some time, which is why I think we must strengthen our security and increase our response capacity," Meloni told reporters when asked about Trump's remarks.
"It's a choice that's not up to me, and one that I personally wouldn't agree with," she added.
Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump declared the military would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, after the country's Chancellor Friederich Merz condemned Washington's approach to negotiations with Iran. It was the latest sign of crumbling relations between the White House and members of NATO through Trump's second term in office.
The president has repeatedly claimed that US forces are disproportionately carrying Western security responsibilities against the backdrop of Russia's grinding war in Ukraine, later accusing Italy and Spain for not aiding the US-Israeli campaign on Iran late February.
Several European ministers, including Meloni, have refused to participate in the offensive, slamming the campaign as illegal or outside the realm of international law. On Monday, Meloni insisted that Italy "has always kept its commitments."
"I don't consider some of the things said about us to be correct," she said.
Meloni will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Italian capital, Rome on Friday, according to her public calendar.
UAE ISSUES EMERGENCY MISSILE ALERT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE START OF US-IRAN CEASEFIRE:
The United Arab Emirates on Monday sent out an alert for potential missile threats throughout the country, the first in just under a month when the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire.
The alert was issued in multiple emirates, including Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. An all-clear alert was issued shortly afterward.
Earlier on Monday, the UAE condemned what it said was an "Iranian terrorist attack" that targeted a tanker belonging to the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) that tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said ADNOC's tanker was targeted by two Iranian drones as it was passing through the strait but that no injuries were recorded.
IRANIAN NAVY SAYS WARNING SHOTS FIRED NEAR US DESTROYERS:
The Iranian navy has said it fired warning shots near US navy destroyers operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
The navy "detected US destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz and issued warnings, including firing warning shots, cautioning of the consequences of what it described as risky actions," according to state broadcaster IRIB.
"After the US destroyers reportedly ignored initial warnings, Iranian forces issued a second, more direct warning, stating that any attempt to enter the strait would be considered a breach of the ceasefire and would prompt a response," IRIB reported.
"Iranian naval forces fired additional warning shots-including cruise missiles, rockets, and combat drones-near the vessels," the navy statement added.
CNN is reaching out to the US military for comment on the Iranian claim.
US Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Persian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Central Command, and "American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping," it said in a post on X.
>>Agency
