Missiles fly as Hormuz tensions come to a head
• US says destroyed ‘several Iranian boats’ after Iran claims strike on warship in Hormuz
• Trump warns Iranian forces will be ‘blown off the face of earth’ if they try to intercept US vessels
• Fire at UAE port after drone attack, three Indian nationals hurt; Korean ship damaged in strait
• Shipping group says transit through strait ‘still not possible’
• Iran says US ceasefire proposal ‘under review’
• Dar, Cooper discuss situation
WASHINGTON/DUBAI: After weeks of simmering tensions, hostilities broke out once again in the Strait of Hormuz, as the US military claimed to have destroyed six Iranian boats while Tehran targeted a US warship entering the strait, besides firing several missiles and drones towards the United Arab Emirates.
Both sides, however, denied any damage to their military assets.
Tensions remained high in the blockaded Strait of Hormuz after the US launched an operation, announced by US President Donald Trump on Sunday, to “guide out” commercial ships stranded in the Gulf due to the US-Israel’s war on Iran.
Iran, however, told the stranded vessels to refrain from any movement not coordinated with Tehran and fired warning shots to prevent the vessels from crossing the strait.
On Monday, the US said its ships entered the Gulf through the strait to guide the ships — a claim contested by Tehran. US guided-missile destroyers have entered the Gulf as part of the mission to escort ships through the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, the US military said.
However, Iran said it had forced a US warship to turn back from entering the Hormuz and at least two missiles reportedly hit the military vessel. A senior Iranian official told Reuters Iran had fired a warning shot and it was unclear whether the warship had been damaged.
Iran’s Fars news agency, however, said two missiles had hit the warship near the port of Jask at the southern entrance to the strait, but the US military denied that any warship had been struck.
President Trump also said their ship had not sustained any damage as a result of Tehran’s strikes, and also warned its forces would be “blown off the face of the earth” if they attempted to target US vessels guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with Fox News, President Trump also said he sees two paths forward in his war: either reaching a good-faith deal or resuming military operations. He claimed that the United States shot down “seven small” Iranian boats after Tehran took shots at several ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
‘Potential missile threats’
Authorities in the UAE’s Fujairah said that a fire broke out at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone following what they described as a drone attack originating from Iran, Reuters reported. New Delhi said three Indian nationals were injured in the attack.
Meanwhile, the UAE also accused Iran of attacking an empty crude oil tanker belonging to the Abu Dhabi state oil firm ADNOC with drones as it attempted to pass through the strait.
It also issued a mobile phone alert for a potential missile attack on Monday before cancelling it.
Fire on Korean ship
Meanwhile, the foreign ministry of South Korea said, “An explosion and fire occurred on a vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company… anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates inside the Strait of Hormuz”.
There had been “no casualties to date” among the 24 crew members on board, who include six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals, it added.
The vessel, the HMM Namu, is a cargo ship of almost 180 metres sailing under the flag of Panama, data from tracking site MarineTraffic showed.
Hundreds of commercial vessels and as many as 20,000 seafarers have been unable to transit the strait during the conflict, the International Maritime Organisation said.
Container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said its risk assessment was unchanged and that transit through the strait was still not possible.
Numerous executives from the shipping and oil industries have said they need an end to hostilities and some form of peace deal because military convoys are not enough to facilitate normal traffic.
US proposal under review
Meanwhile, Iranian state media said Washington had conveyed its response to a 14-point Iranian proposal via Pakistan, and that Tehran was now reviewing it. Neither side gave details.
A senior Iranian official has confirmed that Tehran envisages ending the war on all fronts — including Israel’s attacks on Lebanon — and resolving the shipping standoff first, while leaving talks on Iran’s nuclear programme for later.
Dar, Cooper discuss regional situation
Later, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also spoke with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and discussed matters of mutual interest, including the evolving regional developments.
Cooper reiterated appreciation of Pakistan’s efforts to promote engagement and mediation between the parties for lasting peace in the region, while Dar reaffirmed the country’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy in pursuit of regional and global peace and stability.
They also discussed global economic implications and other wider impacts of the conflict. Both sides agreed to remain in close contact on bilateral matters, as well as regional and international developments.
Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2026
