The fragile truce in the Middle East was in jeopardy on Tuesday after the United States and Iran launched new attacks as they wrestled for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats, as well as cruise missiles and drones, after President Donald Trump sent the navy to escort stranded tankers through the strait in a campaign he called "Project Freedom".
Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf , said in a social media post on Tuesday that the security of shipping and energy transit had been threatened by breaches of the four-week-old ceasefire by the US and its allies.
Several merchant ships in the Gulf reported explosions or fires on Monday, and an oil port in the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a large US military base, was set ablaze by Iranian missiles. Conflicting reports Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday's events showed there was no military solution to the crisis. He said peace talks were progressing with Pakistan's mediation, and warned the US and the UAE against being drawn into a "quagmire".
The US military said two US merchant ships made it through the strait, without saying when, with the support of Navy guided-missile destroyers.
While Iran denied any crossings had taken place, Maersk said the Alliance Fairfax, a US-flagged ship, exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, accompanied by the US military, on Monday.
The commander of US forces in the region said his fleet had destroyed six small Iranian boats, which Iran also denied. Iranian media quoted a military commander as saying US forces targeted civilian boats, killing five civilians.
Iran also said on Monday it had fired on a US warship approaching the strait, forcing it to turn around. Iranian officials later described the fire as warning shots.
South Korea reported that one of its merchant ships, HMM Namu, in the strait suffered an explosion and fire in its engine room, though no one aboard was hurt. A South Korean government spokesperson said it was unclear if the fire was caused by an attack. Also on Monday, the British maritime security agency UKMTO reported two ships had been hit off the coast of the UAE, and the Emirati oil company ADNOC said one of its empty oil tankers was hit by Iranian drones.
After incidents involving South Korean vessels, Trump took to Truth Social to suggest that it was "time for South Korea to come and join the mission”. However, South Korea has sent mixed messages about whether it will participate in "Project Freedom". Yonhap News Agency , citing a senior official in the presidential office, said that any military involvement would require approval from the UN Security Council and South Korea's National Assembly.
Elsewhere, South Korea's Blue House said the presidential office is reviewing whether the country can participate in "Project Freedom", Newsis reported. UAE oil port ablaze Iranian authorities released a map of what they said was an expanded sea area now under their control, extending far beyond the strait to include long stretches of the UAE's coastline.
After reported drone and missile attacks inside the UAE throughout the day, including one that caused a fire at Fujairah , an important oil port, the UAE said Iranian attacks marked a serious escalation, and it reserved the right to respond.
Fujairah lies beyond the strait, making it one of few export routes for Middle East oil that does not require passing through it.
Iran's state television network said military officials had confirmed they attacked the UAE in response to the "US military's adventurism".
The attack drew condemnations from Gulf and Arab states, and well as the UAE's allies beyond the region. Anwar Gargash, senior advisor to the UAE's president, said the messages "confirm that Iran is the aggressor and is responsible for escalating the crisis in the Gulf region", adding that Iran is the "source of danger and threats" to the region's stability.
Early on Tuesday, oil prices eased 1% after climbing by as much as 6% in the previous session on signs the US Navy is loosening Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz. States urge return to talks Diplomacy between Washington and Tehran has been deadlocked since the ceasefire, with the United States twice aborting plans for senior officials to attend talks in Pakistan.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz implored Tehran to "return to the negotiating table and stop holding the region and the world hostage", echoing calls from French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Saudi Arabia, a key US ally whose energy infrastructure has been hit by Iran, joined the calls on Tuesday to de-escalate and called for "diplomatic efforts to reach a political solution".