US forces attacked Iranian military facilities after Iran launched “unprovoked” missile, drone and small boat attacks against American warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Iran is expected to respond on Thursday to a US proposal aimed at ending the conflict and establishing a framework for broader nuclear negotiations, according to media reports, as diplomatic efforts intensified amid continuing tensions in the Gulf.
US President Donald Trump said the US military will temporarily pause “Project Freedom” — the military-backed plan to guide commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz — signalling a potential easing of tensions with Iran.
Around 20,000 seafarers remain trapped and unable to leave in and around the Strait of Hormuz, said International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the US-Iran ceasefire is not over despite this week's attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The US effort to guide vessels out of the strait is temporary and separate, he said.
US President Donald Trump has announced that the US will begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely blocked by Iran, starting Monday.
US President Donald Trump has yet to decide whether to endorse a reported memorandum of understanding negotiated between US and Iranian officials, as the world awaits a potential extension of the ceasefire and eventual peace deal.
The global economic outlook has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks, according to the latest edition of the World Economic Forum’s Chief Economists’ Outlook published on Thursday (May 28).
Fresh US military strikes near Iran’s strategic port city of Bandar Abbas and comments from President Donald Trump that he would not be rushed into a deal, added to tensions in the Gulf, while oil prices rebounded after sharp losses earlier in the week.
Two liquefied natural gas tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday ( May 25) heading to route to Pakistan and China, while a supertanker carrying Iraqi crude for China departed the Gulf on Saturday after being stranded for nearly three months, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.
