A new wave of confusion and accusations has swept across the Strait of Hormuz after conflicting accounts emerged over reported attacks involving US forces, Iranian vessels and commercial shipping.
Former US President Donald Trump said the United States had “shot down seven small boats,” describing them as “fast boats” and claiming they were among the last remaining assets Iran had in the area. The US military later stated that helicopters were used to engage the vessels.
Iranian state media quickly challenged the account. Citing a military source, the Tasnim news agency reported that the US had not struck speed boats at all, but had instead hit two small cargo vessels, resulting in the deaths of five civilians. The report directly contradicted Washington’s version of events.
Earlier on Monday, the US said navy destroyers and US‑flagged merchant ships had passed through the strait without incident. Iran dismissed the claim as “entirely false,” asserting that its forces had fired warning shots at a US warship a statement the US military firmly denied.
Amid the escalating rhetoric, shipping giant Maersk confirmed that its US‑flagged vessel, the Alliance Fairfax, had finally exited the Strait of Hormuz. The ship had been stranded in the Gulf since late February, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran. According to Maersk, the US contacted the company and offered military protection to escort the vessel out of the region.
“The vessel subsequently exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by US military assets,” the company said in a statement, marking a rare moment of clarity in an otherwise murky and fast‑moving situation.
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