US Bid to Open Strait Tests Ceasefire  05/05 06:15

   The Iran war risked reigniting after the U.S. tried to force open the Strait 
of Hormuz for commercial shipping, though a ceasefire seemed to be holding 
Tuesday even after the United Arab Emirates said Iran fired missiles and drones 
at it.

   DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The Iran war risked reigniting after the 
U.S. tried to force open the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, though a 
ceasefire seemed to be holding Tuesday even after the United Arab Emirates said 
Iran fired missiles and drones at it.

   It is unclear what will follow after an American attempt to end Iran's 
stranglehold on the strait by creating an "enhanced security area." A prominent 
Iranian official accused the U.S. of undermining regional security with the 
effort and warned that Iran will respond.

   The U.S. military said two American-flagged merchant ships successfully 
transited the strait on Monday, and that it fired on Iranian forces, sinking 
six small boats that were targeting vessels. It remained to be seen if any more 
ships would cross on Tuesday.

   Ship tracking data showed a Panamanian-flagged crude oil tanker heading 
toward the center of the strait Tuesday morning after leaving an anchorage in 
the Persian Gulf, though it was unclear if it would try to pass through. The 
tanker had a stated destination of Singapore, according to the MarineTraffic 
ship tracking site.

   Iran's effective closure of the strait, through which about a fifth of the 
world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes, along with fertilizer 
and other petroleum-derived products, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing, 
rattled the global economy, and proved a major strategic advantage in 
negotiations to end the war. Breaking that chokehold would ease global economic 
concerns and deny Tehran a major source of leverage.

   But such efforts also risk reigniting the full-scale fighting that erupted 
when the U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran on Feb. 28, prompting it to close 
the strait.

   Iran accuses US of ceasefire violation

   Iran has said the new U.S. effort is a violation of the fragile ceasefire 
that has held for more than three weeks.

   In a post on X Tuesday, Iran's powerful parliamentary speaker and chief 
negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accused Washington of undermining shipping 
security in the Strait of Hormuz.

   Qalibaf warned that a "new equation" in the strait is taking shape. He 
signaled that Tehran has yet to fully respond to the U.S. attempt to reopen the 
waterway, saying: "We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is 
intolerable for America; while we have not even begun yet."

   Trump vows to reopen the strait

   U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday warned that Iranian efforts to halt 
passage through the strait "will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with 
forcefully." He said the U.S. effort to reopen the strait, dubbed "Project 
Freedom," was intended to aid stranded seafarers on hundreds of ships stuck in 
the Persian Gulf since the war began.

   The U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center advised ships on Monday to 
cross the strait in Oman's waters, saying it had set up an "enhanced security 
area."

   The UAE bore the brunt of Iran's retaliation

   The United Arab Emirates' Defense Ministry said its air defenses had engaged 
15 missiles and four drones fired by Iran. Authorities in the eastern emirate 
of Fujairah said one drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three 
Indian nationals. The British military reported two cargo vessels ablaze off 
the UAE.

   Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday condemned the attacks, saying 
the targeting of civilians and infrastructure was "unacceptable." In a 
statement on X, Modi said India stands in "firm solidarity" with the UAE, and 
stressed the need for safe and uninterrupted shipping through the Strait of 
Hormuz, saying it "is vital for enduring regional peace, stability and global 
energy security."

   Tehran did not confirm or deny the attacks but early on Tuesday, Iran's 
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that both the U.S. and the UAE 
"should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire."

   Pakistan, which has been mediating between the U.S. and Iran, and Saudi 
Arabia both condemned the strikes against the UAE.

   Saudi's condemnation, in a statement from its foreign ministry, came despite 
increasingly strained relations between Saudi and the UAE.

   Strait of Hormuz closure has far-reaching consequences

   The disruption of the waterway has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia 
that depend on Persian Gulf oil and gas, raising prices far beyond the region.

   The U.S. has meanwhile enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports since 
April 13, telling at least 49 commercial ships to turn back, according to 
Central Command. It's also warned shipping companies they could face sanctions 
if they pay Iran for transit of the strait.

   The blockade has deprived Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its 
ailing economy. U.S. officials have expressed hope the blockade will force Iran 
to make concessions in talks on its disputed nuclear program and other 
longstanding issues.

   Negotiations make little progress

   Iran's latest proposal for ending the war calls for the U.S. to lift 
sanctions, end the blockade, withdraw forces from the region, and cease all 
hostilities including Israel's operations in Lebanon, according to the 
semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran's 
security apparatus.

   Iranian officials said they were reviewing the U.S. response. Tehran has 
claimed its proposal does not include its nuclear program and enriched uranium, 
long a driving force in tensions with the U.S. and Israel.

   Iran wants other issues resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war 
rather than extend the ceasefire. Trump expressed doubt over the weekend that 
the proposal would lead to a deal.