Trump says US has struck seven Iranian boats as tensions spike in Strait of Hormuz

‘We’ve shot down seven small boats,’ wrote Trump on social media

Cargo ships near the Strait of Hormuz (/Fatima Shbair/AP)

5 days ago

Donald Trump has declared the US has struck seven Iranian "small boats" in a determined effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

In a short online post, Trump claims Iran has "taken some shots at unrelated nations" including a South Korean cargo ship.

"Perhaps it's time for South Korea to come and join the mission," he wrote. “We’ve shot down seven small Boats or, as they like to call them, ‘fast’ Boats. It’s all they have left.”

Trump added that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs' Chairman, General Dan Caine, will provide further updates at a news conference tomorrow morning.

Elsewhere, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has accused Iran of carrying out a drone attack on its key oil port of Fujairah, causing a large fire in its wake.

Officials branded the attacks a "dangerous escalation" and added three Indian nationals were injured in the strike.

UAE's defence ministry earlier stated it had prevented three Iranian missiles from reaching their targets, with a fourth landing in the sea.

The UAE's foreign ministry also reported that an oil tanker under its state-owned Adnoc banner had also been struck in the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Iranian state TV shared an interview from a unnamed military chief who insisted Iran had "no plans to target the UAE".

Military activity resumed as the US announced its navy destroyers and US-marked merchant ships would sail through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

Iran has branded the US claims as "entirely false" and days its military fired warning shots at a US vessel.

Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran (Asghar Besharati/AP)

Earlier today, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke of heightened “tension” between Donald Trump and Europe at a gathering of leaders from across the continent, which he used to announce the UK’s bid to join the European Union’s recovery loan for Ukraine.

Mr Trump has lashed out at some Nato nations for what he sees as their lack of support for Washington in Iran, most recently announcing plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.

The Prime Minister warned of the strained relations at the European Political Community summit in Armenia, which is being dominated by the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, amid concerns over the US president’s waning interest in the first and attacks on traditional allies over their stance on the second.

Speaking in the plenary session, Sir Keir said: “We cannot deny that some of the alliances that we have come to rely on are not in the place we would want them to be.

“There is more tension in the alliances than there should be and it’s very important that we therefore face up to this as a group of countries together.”

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Trump says US has struck seven Iranian boats as tensions spike in Strait of Hormuz

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