U.S. Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit board M/V Blue Star III, April 28, 2026, a commercial ship suspected of attempting to transit to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. US forces released the ship after conducting a search and confirming that the ship’s voyage would not include Iranian port calls.
US Marine Corps centcom
US Central Command on Monday denied Iranian state media claims that a US warship passing through the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by two missiles and forced to turn back.
“No US Navy ships have been attacked,” CentCom, the US military command covering the Middle East, said in a post from its official X account.
“U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports,” Centcom said.
“Project Freedom” refers to a new effort by the US to “free” ships that are stranded as a result of Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which was a main chokepoint in the war through which about 20% of the world’s oil was shipped before the conflict began.
President Donald Trump announcing the operation satya social post It was said on Sunday evening that efforts would begin from Monday morning.
CENTCOM said in another x post It was reported Monday morning that a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer “is currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom.”
“U.S. forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit to commercial shipping. As a first step, 2 U.S.-flagged merchant ships have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely underway on their voyages,” Centcom wrote.
This appears to contradict Iran’s Fars News Agency, which reported earlier on Monday that the US Navy ship was attacked twice as it attempted to pass through the strait.
The ship, described in a Google-translated social media post as a US frigate, was attacked “after ignoring warnings from the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran”, which is aligned with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to Fars.
“The ship was unable to continue its course due to these hits and was forced to turn back and flee the area,” Fars reported.
Iran has blocked most tanker traffic through the strait since the war between the US and Israel began on February 28. In fact, the shutdown has dealt a historic blow to energy supplies, causing prices to rise sharply and creating uncertainty in global markets.
Ship traffic remains low despite a shaky ceasefire between the US and Iran, which has so far failed to lead to a breakthrough in peace talks.
Amid the temporary ceasefire, Trump ordered a US Navy blockade of Iranian ports in the region in mid-April, hoping to pressure Iran into a deal by blocking its oil export business. But experts told CNBC that Iran could hold out for months.
Trump said in his Truth Social post on Sunday evening that the US has told countries not involved in the war, “We will get their ships safely out of these restricted waterways, so they can go about their business freely and efficiently.”
His post seemed to acknowledge that the operation could further strain diplomacy efforts with Iran.
“The purpose of the cruise movement is simply to free people, companies and countries who have done nothing wrong – they are victims of circumstance,” Trump wrote.
But he added, “If, in any way, this humanitarian process is interfered with, then unfortunately, that interference will have to be dealt with forcefully.”