The US military announced that its destroyers have entered the Persian Gulf to assist in escorting merchant ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, with two American ships successfully making the transit.
On 4 May 2026, the US military stated that two of its guided missile destroyers have entered the Persian Gulf to break Iran's blockade. At the same time, two American-flagged merchant ships successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The military also denied reports that a US ship was attacked by Iranian missiles.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces are supporting "Project Freedom," President Donald Trump's initiative aimed at "navigating" commercial vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the ongoing US-Israel and Iran conflict.
However, this intervention appears to increase the risk of direct confrontation between the US and Iran in these waters, which under normal circumstances handle one-fifth of the world's oil and gas shipping but have been blockaded for over two months as a result of the war.
CENTCOM confirmed that two US-flagged commercial vessels have passed through the strait while destroyers operate in the gulf, adding, “The US military is fully committed to restoring this vital commercial shipping route.”
On Monday morning, Iran claimed it successfully forced US warships to retreat from the Strait of Hormuz, but CENTCOM quickly denied Iranian media reports that the ships were attacked with missiles.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials told Reuters that warning shots were fired, though it remains unclear whether the warships sustained any damage.
Oil prices surged 5% immediately after reports of the warship interception but later declined to an increase of about 2.5% by 12:20 GMT.
The shipping industry remains uncertain about the safety of this crucial oil transit route, as there are no signs of progress in negotiations to end the US-Iran conflict.
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Source:cna