President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Tehran on Monday, threatening that Iran would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it continues to target United States vessels. The threat, delivered during a telephone interview with Fox News, follows a day of renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. military reported destroying seven Iranian fast boats using helicopters.
Washington launched “Project Freedom” on Monday, a military operation designed to escort merchant vessels through the strategic waterway, which has remained largely blocked since U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran in February. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), stated that the military reached out to dozens of shipping companies to facilitate transit, noting that the stranded vessels belong to 87 countries that are “innocent bystanders” in the conflict. The shipping firm Maersk confirmed to the BBC that its U.S.-flagged vessel, the Alliance Fairfax, successfully exited the Gulf under U.S. protection.
Despite U.S. efforts to open the corridor, the situation remains volatile. South Korea reported an attack on one of its vessels, while the United Arab Emirates confirmed missile and drone strikes on an oil facility in Fujairah. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the U.S. mission, stating, “Project Freedom is Project Deadlock,” and asserting that there is no military solution to the political crisis.
Conflicting accounts persist regarding the engagement with Iranian naval assets. While President Trump told Fox News that the U.S. destroyed seven fast boats, Iranian officials denied any such attack took place. Tehran further claimed its military fired warning shots at a U.S. warship, a report the U.S. military explicitly denied. Ship-tracking data indicates that traffic through the waterway remains largely suspended.
As the military standoff continues, diplomatic activity is shifting toward Washington. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to travel to the U.S. this week to meet with President Trump, according to reports from O Globo and Reuters. While the White House has not yet confirmed the meeting, it follows a period of improved relations between the two leaders, who spoke by phone in January and met briefly in Kuala Lumpur in October.
Separately, security was tightened at the White House on Monday after Secret Service agents shot and wounded an armed suspect nearby. France 24 reported that the incident occurred shortly after Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade had passed the area. Officials stated that the vice president was not believed to be a target of the individual, who opened fire before being neutralized.
