The US military has denied a claim by Iranian state media that Iran hit a US warship which was trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz.
Fars, the semi-official Iranian news agency, said that Iran had stopped the vessel by hitting it with two missiles near Jask island after it ignored Iranian warnings, saying it was “in violation of traffic and shipping security".
It was reported that the public relations arm of the army said: "With a firm and swift warning from the Islamic Republic Navy, the entry of American and Zionist enemy destroyers into the Strait of Hormuz was prevented."
However, US Central Command (Centcom) denied the claim. In a post on X, Centcom said that "no US Navy ships have been struck", adding that US forces are continuing to enforce the naval blockade on Iranian ports.
It comes hours after US President Donald Trump said the US military would begin helping stranded ships out of the vital strait.
The operation, dubbed “Project Freedom”, involves guiding ships through a southern route of the strait of Hormuz - using "guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members", according to the US military.
But Tehran continues to insist that any such transits would have to be coordinated with its armed forces.
Major General Ali Abdollahi said that Iran has repeatedly stated that the strait is under the control of the Iranian armed forces, and safe passage through it must be coordinated with it "under all circumstances".
A statement from the head of Iran's central command says that it would attack "any foreign armed force" that tries to approach or enter the strait, "especially, the aggressive US army".
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that the US has to reduce its “excessive” demands if progress is going to be made in peace talks which have reached an impasse.
In a statement shared by the semi-official Mehr news agency, Baghaei said that Iran remains the strait's "guardian and protector".
Baghaei added: "Ships and shipping companies well know that ensuring their security requires coordination with the competent authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the only way to reopen the strait was “a coordinated reopening by the United States and Iran”.
Other vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz have reported being fired on and seized.
Shortly after Trump's comments on Sunday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said that a tanker had reported being hit by unknown projectiles.
The incident occurred 78 nautical miles north of Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates, with all the tanker’s crew reported safe.
Crude oil prices edged higher on Monday, with no peace deal in sight.
Analysts said they were likely to remain above $100 a barrel with the Strait of Hormuz still largely blocked.
