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US Attacks Seven Iranian Boats in Strait of Hormuz

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US President Donald Trump has announced that American forces attacked seven Iranian fast boats in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military reportedly used helicopters to carry out the assault, while Iran denied the American claims as false. Following this attack, an American-flagged vessel named Alliance Fairfax reportedly managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Kathmandu, 22 Baishakh.

President Donald Trump stated that the US targeted seven Iranian ‘fast boats’ in the Strait of Hormuz. He said, “We took down seven small boats (which they call fast boats). That’s all that is left for them now.” This attack took place amid efforts to safely escort ships stranded in this almost closed waterway.

The US conducted the assault on Iranian boats as part of the ‘Project Freedom’ operation. The US military used helicopters to attack the boats. However, Iran has declared the American reports about the attack to be entirely false. Meanwhile, an American-flagged ship has reportedly succeeded in passing through the Strait of Hormuz. According to the shipping company Maersk, one of its American-flagged vessels successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a US military security operation. The ship, named Alliance Fairfax, had been stranded in the Gulf region since February.

Maersk confirmed that its commercial vessel completed its voyage without any disruption and that the entire crew is safe. Since the US and Israel’s airstrikes against Iran in February, the Strait of Hormuz has been frequently obstructed. In retaliation for these attacks, Iran blocked this crucial waterway used for nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Although a ceasefire was declared between the US and Iran in early April, only a limited number of ships have been able to use this route since then. Additionally, the US has imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports. As a result of the conflict that began in February between the US and Iran, around 20,000 sailors aboard approximately 2,000 ships have been stranded in the area. Earlier, the US claimed that its naval destroyers and American-flagged commercial vessels crossed the strait on Monday. Iran called these claims “completely false” and stated that its military fired warning shots at the US warships, a claim rejected by the United States.