Iran warns attack US forces in Hormuz after Trump announces escort plan
TEHRAN
Vehicles drive past a billboard with graphic showing Strait of Hormuz and sewn lips of U.S. President Donald Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Tension on May 4 remained high between Washington and Tehran, as Iran reportedly fired two missiles at a U.S. Navy vessel after it tried to transit the Strait of Hormuz, a claim rejected by the Pentagon.
The semiofficial Fars news agency said the ship was struck following a warning from Iranian naval forces that it allegedly ignored.
The agency also cited local sources saying the vessel was hit, lost its ability to continue, and was forced to retreat from the area.
However, a U.S. official denied a report that it had been struck by Iranian missiles.
“No U.S. Navy ships have been struck,” U.S.Central Command said.. “US forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports.”
Earlier in the day, Iran's military warned that U.S. forces would be attacked if they entered the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump said the United States would begin escorting ships through the waterway.
Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran took effect on April 8, with Tehran's stranglehold on the strait a main point of contention.
Trump said that the new maritime operation, which he dubbed "Project Freedom,” was a "humanitarian" gesture for crews aboard the many ships swept up in the blockade who may be running low on food and other supplies.
"We will use best efforts to get their Ships and Crews safely out of the Strait. In all cases, they said they will not be returning until the area becomes safe for navigation," Trump posted on Truth Social, saying operations would begin on Monday.
In response, the Iranian military's central command said any safe passage through Hormuz must be coordinated with its forces "under all circumstances.”
"We warn that any foreign armed force, especially the aggressive U.S. military, if they intend to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be targeted and attacked," said Major General Ali Abdollahi in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.
By blocking the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has choked off major flows of oil, gas and fertilizer to the world economy, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
Trump in his post said he was "fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all."
But he made no direct mention of a 14-point plan that Tehran said it put forward last week to end the war.
U.S. Central Command said it would use guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members in the Hormuz effort.
As of April 29, more than 900 commercial vessels were located in the Gulf, according to maritime intelligence firm AXSMarine.
U.S. news website Axios, citing two sources briefed on the Iranian proposal, reported that Tehran set "a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the strait", lift the US naval blockade and end the war.