CAIRO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Tensions between the United States and Iran have flared sharply in recent days over the Strait of Hormuz, with both countries claiming to have carried out military operations despite a ceasefire in place since early April.
By launching the "Project Freedom" operation, the United States said it would guide stranded commercial vessels through the vital waterway, which in turn provoked a strong military response from Iran.
Analysts say that the U.S. actions are unlikely to fully open the Strait of Hormuz, offer little relief to the global energy crisis, and risk further escalating tensions.
WHAT'S NEW?
Since the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on April 8, their negotiations have yielded no concrete results, and tensions have recently risen again, sparking fears of renewed conflict.
On Monday, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported that the Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps fired two missiles at a U.S. Navy frigate attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's top military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned that "any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive U.S. army, will be attacked" if they attempt to enter the strait, state agency IRNA reported.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military said it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones.
Over the past two days, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that Iran carried out missile and drone strikes on its territory, triggering a fire at oil facilities in Fujairah. Iran, however, denied the attacks and accused the UAE of cooperating with "aggressors."
The recent flare-up comes as the United States steps up efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said earlier that "guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members" would be used to ensure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
WHAT'S BEHIND THE ESCALATION?
The latest escalation was sparked on Monday by the U.S. launch of "Project Freedom" in the name of guiding ships out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Calling the move a "humanitarian gesture," President Donald Trump said that other countries have asked his country to "help free up their ships, which are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz."
"For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business," he said, warning of forceful action against any Iranian interference.
Iran and some analysts have disputed the U.S. claims. Dismissing the U.S. claims of humanitarianism, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that the waterway had been safe for international shipping before the U.S.-Israeli attacks began.
While the United States "aims to present it as a limited, perhaps even humanitarian step," Eldad Shavit, a senior researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, said the initiative is intended to signal "control" and "resolve."
Echoing this view, The Guardian said in an analysis that for Iran, "this is all about who controls the strait, and they are clearly prepared to take risks to hold on to the main point of leverage."
In light of the recent clashes, analysts have warned of the risks posed by the U.S. project.
"A single incident, an Iranian warning that goes unanswered, damage to a vessel or a misinterpretation could turn a limited operation into a broader confrontation," Shavit wrote in an opinion piece on Tuesday.
WILL "PROJECT FREEDOM" REOPEN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ?
A series of warning signs of escalating tensions has also heightened regional concerns about the risk of a return to war.
Countries in the Middle East and regional organizations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, have strongly condemned recent attacks on the UAE, calling them a dangerous escalation and a threat to regional security.
Besides raising the risk of renewed military conflict, experts say that the chances of the U.S. reopening the Strait of Hormuz through "Project Freedom" appear slim.
"Tehran has upended traditional maritime arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz and remains in the driver's seat despite U.S. pressure, so (U.S.) authorities cannot expect to reverse this shift quickly," said Noam Raydan, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Max Boot, senior fellow for national security studies at the U.S. think-tank Council on Foreign Relations, also believes the U.S. "Project Freedom is unlikely to open the Strait of Hormuz."
"Only diplomacy can get the world out of this quagmire," Boot said in a recent article. "The sooner that Trump accepts there is no military solution to the current crisis, the better."
Trump said Tuesday that "Project Freedom" would be paused to see whether a peace deal can be reached between Washington and Tehran.
"While the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
The decision was based on the request of Pakistan and other countries, as well as due to the "great progress ... made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran," he said. ■
