Iran threatens to attack ships as Trump says US will target ships in Strait of Hormuz

French President Emmanuel Macron has asked the US and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in an “orderly” manner, indicating that his country will not participate in the effort announced by President Trump to “direct” commercial ships leaving the Persian Gulf under the threat of an Iranian attack.

“What we want above all is a coordinated reopening by the United States and Iran – which is the only solution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” Macron told fellow European leaders during a meeting on Monday in Armenia.

“We will not participate in any military force in a framework that seems unclear,” he said.

France and the UK have led efforts to create a coalition of nations to move military supplies to the region to ensure that the flow remains open and safe for deployment once peace is established, but European countries have refused to undertake those efforts until an agreement is reached to end the war.

Brigadier General Mohbi, a spokesman for the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned on Monday that any ship trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without following the regime’s “traffic rules,” which require coordination to pass through “jointly established routes,” would “face serious risks.”

“Vessels that violate the law will be blocked forcefully,” Mohbi said in a message shared by Iran’s state media.

It was the latest direct challenge from the Iranian government to the plan announced by President Trump regarding the “humanitarian” military operation of US warships to “direct” commercial ships out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.

Dozens of tankers and cargo ships have been stuck in the Gulf for months as Tehran, in retaliation for the joint US-Israeli war against Iran, has declared this long open international road – important for the transportation of gas and oil – under its control, and attacked vessels that do not have permission to use it.

While the ongoing ceasefire between the US and Iran has ended American strikes in the country, the US has imposed a blockade on Iranian naval vessels and ships, which Tehran considers a violation of the agreement. Iran responded by maintaining its threat to commercial shipping, which kept oil and gas prices high and fueled global inflation.

The United States has begun an effort to “guide” the missing ships from the Strait of Hormuz held by Iran, as it tries to fight the economic crisis that has led to a high number of fights without a peace agreement.

A day after President Trump announced what he called “Project Freedom,” the Joint Maritime Information Center said Monday the US had set up an “enhanced security zone” south of normal shipping lanes and urged sailors to cooperate closely with Omani authorities “due to the expected high volume.” The Strait is between Iranian and Omani territory.

The center warned that passing near the normal routes, known as the traffic separation scheme, “should be considered very dangerous due to the presence of mines that have not been fully explored and not mitigated.”

The announcement of the US-led naval task force marked the beginning of an effort to revive traffic and restore confidence among commercial vessels passing through the port.

The disruption of the waterway through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil flows has been one of the lasting effects of the war that the US and Israel declared on February 28. It has pressured countries in Europe and Asia that depend on supplies from the Persian Gulf and added new volatility to energy costs for homes and businesses around the world.

Iran’s military said on Monday it would attack US forces if they entered the Strait of Hormuz, after President Trump announced that Washington would begin escorting ships through the blockaded route.

“We warn that any foreign military force – especially the US military – if it intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz, it will be targeted and attacked,” said Major General Ali Abdollahi of the Iranian Command of the central command, in a statement issued by the state broadcaster IRIB.

“We have repeatedly said that the security of the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and under all circumstances, any safe passage must be coordinated with these forces,” he added.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday the United States faced a choice between an “impossible” war or a deal with Tehran, after President Trump rejected Iran’s latest peace proposal.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran had presented a 14-point plan “focused on ending the war” and that Washington had already responded to a message it sent to Pakistani negotiators, which Iran was reviewing.

Project Freedom, an effort announced by President Trump to help merchant ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz, will involve “guided missile destroyers, more than 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multiple unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members,” US Central Command said Sunday night.

Additional details about what the job will entail were not provided.

President Trump on Sunday said that an effort to guide ships from countries not involved in the war with Iran safely out of the Strait of Hormuz, called Project Freedom, will begin on Monday.

“For the benefit of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these countries that we will guide their ships safely through these restricted waterways, so that they can continue their business freely and freely,” wrote Mr.

“In all cases, they said they would not return until the place was ready for navigation, and everything else,” wrote Mr.

The president said the effort was “an act of humanitarian aid on behalf of the United States, the countries of the Middle East but, in particular, the country of Iran,” noting that the ships “are running out of food, and everything else that is necessary for a large crew to stay on board in a healthy and clean manner.”

“If in any way, this Humanitarian program is disturbed, that interference, unfortunately, will have to be dealt with forcefully,” concluded Mr.