Iran claimed its missiles hit a US warship trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz, a claim rejected by Washington as a new American effort got underway to get commercial shipping traffic flowing through the critical waterway.
With a shaky US cease-fire remaining in place, Iran fired four missiles across the Persian Gulf at the United Arab Emirates, that country's military said on May 4, prompting a threat of retaliation from the Gulf state's foreign ministry. Air defenses intercepted three of the missiles and a fourth crashed into the sea, officials said.
An Iranian drone also hit the UAE port of Fujairah, sparking a fire, and injuring three Indian nationals working there, authorities said.
More than two months after US and Israeli forces began striking Iran, the Strait of Hormuz remains bottlenecked amid Tehran’s threats, which have sent energy prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy.
Washington has retaliated by imposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Hundreds of ships and thousands of seamen have been stranded in the area since Iran threatened shipping in the wake of the US-Israeli offensive. As of last week, more than 900 commercial vessels were located in the Persian Gulf, according to the maritime intelligence firm AXSMarine.
Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump announced that US warships would help escort ships that have been “locked up” and unable to transit the strait, beginning May 4.
Two US-flagged merchant vessels passed through the strait "as a first step,” US Central Command, which oversees Washington’s forces in the region, said on May 4.
Earlier, semiofficial Iranian state media claimed that two missiles had hit a US warship near Jask, close to the entrance to the strait.
US Central Command, however, denied that.
“No US Navy ships have been struck,” it said in a post on X.
In a statement, the Joint Maritime Information Center -- a coalition of nearly four dozen countries that aims to share information about shipping routes in the Middle East -- said that the US had established an “enhanced security area” to the south of usual shipping routes in the strait to support transit.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps released a new navigational map that outlined a new stretch of water that it said was under Iranian control.
Known as the IRGC, the corps, a powerful branch of Iran’s military, threatened ships that don't comply with the new navigational directives. Noncompliant ships would face “serious risks,” including being stopped by force, it said.
Cease-Fire. Peace Negotiations.
A cease-fire announced by Trump on April 7 remains in place amid efforts to negotiate a wider peace deal.
However, fears remain for a resumption of hostilities, as both sides issue threats.
Iran has targeted US military facilities and US allies around the Gulf region, including the UAE, which Washington considers a key ally.
No damage was reported in the May 4 barrage of Iranian missiles. The UAE has US-made Patriot anti-missile defense systems.
Shortly before the announcement, an Iranian drone crashed into UAE port of Fujairah, which is a key export facility for the nation. Officials said the drone sparked a fire; three Indian nationals working at the oil port facility were wounded.
"These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and are unacceptable, constituting a direct threat to the security, stability, and safety of the state and its territory," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The UAE "will not hesitate to protect its security and sovereignty against any threat, and that it reserves its full and legitimate right to respond to these attacks."
Located on the Gulf of Oman, the port has become even more crucial after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Among the biggest obstacles in the broader peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran is the fate of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Washington wants Tehran to give up its uranium, including its highly enriched uranium, which can be used for building a weapon.
Tehran said on May 3 that it was reviewing the latest US proposal for a peace deal.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei was quoted as saying there were no talks over Iran's nuclear capabilities at this stage.
Speaking on Fox News on May 4, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the naval blockade was part of a broader economic embargo.
"We are suffocating the regime, and they are not able to pay their soldiers," he claimed. "This is a real economic blockade, and it is in all parts of government."
