Iran ceases fire, control of Strait of Hormuz tested as US directs ships to Iranian fire

The top commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned on Tuesday that any “escalation of tensions between Iran and the US” would bring a “very difficult” result for the US, which he said would “finally be defeated,” despite Iran’s military being weakened.

President Trump downplayed the confrontation between US warships and Iranian forces on Monday in which US ships and aircraft destroyed seven Iranian boats. Speaking later in the day with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Mr. Trump renewed his assertion that the US, “from a military point of view,” has already won the war, saying that all of Iran’s naval vessels are “at the bottom of the ocean.”

However, Major General Yadollah Javani, the IRGC’s deputy commander for political affairs, said on Tuesday that if there were any further tensions between Iran and the US, the standoff “will be worse this time.”

“The US will tighten its muscles, but in the end it will be defeated,” he said in remarks carried by Iran’s state-run Press TV.

The commander renewed Iran’s threat to shipping after the first operation under the US Project Freedom to find commercial ships in the port, warning that any ship wishing to pass through the waterway must do so with permission from the Iranian Armed Forces “to remain safe.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is heading to the Chinese capital Beijing on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and “international developments” amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

Araghchi and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his trip on Tuesday, saying he would meet and hold talks with his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, but did not provide further details.

China has portrayed itself as a neutral party during the two-month war, repeatedly calling for talks to end the conflict, but continuing to support its trading partner by buying Iranian energy – reportedly since the US blocked Iranian ports and ships.

US intelligence agencies found signs early in the war that Russia and China were both supporting Iran in an effort to undermine US-Israeli military operations.

Analysts at the US Defense Intelligence Agency assessed that China was considering supplying Tehran with advanced radar systems, many of which are US-made. officials with knowledge of the matter told CBS News mid April.

A South Korean cargo ship that President Trump said was struck by Iran on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz was waiting to be towed to the port of Dubai on Tuesday after being disabled by the strike, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The ship’s operator, Seoul-based shipping company HMM, confirmed that a fire on board the NAMU knocked out the ship’s main power supply on Monday, leaving the ship unable to navigate under its own power.

Yonhap said six South Korean sailors planned to return home, while 24 others of various nationalities would remain on board, where a backup generator kept the lights on, and HMM said there was enough food and water.

“The circumstances are that the crew should go down if they decide to disembark, but it seems that the firefighting has been completed and there are no other dangerous things, so it is decided that they will stay on the ship,” Yonhap quoted the HMM representative as saying.

South Korea’s government said earlier Tuesday it would “review its stance” on joining US military operations to protect a ship in the Strait of Hormuz after President Trump publicly asked Seoul to do so because of the NAMU attack.

After Iran launched its first attack on its Persian Gulf neighbor in nearly a month on Monday, lashing out as the U.S. launched an operation to target tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the Saudi Arabian government issued an invitation for “detente, containment” and negotiations.

In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern over the “escalation of militancy in the region” and called for “decline, restraint, and support for Pakistan’s mediation and diplomatic efforts to reach a political solution that prevents the region from falling into further conflict and instability, which is not in the interest of the region or the world.”

The Saudi government reiterated “the importance of restoring international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to its normal state,” demanding that all ships “ensure that they move safely and securely without restrictions.”

Iran’s top diplomat in talks with the United States warned on Tuesday that his country has “not even begun” in its dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.

“We know very well that the continuation of the current situation will not be tolerated in America; while we have not started yet,” said Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in a communication.

Ghalibaf, who is also the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, said that the action of the US and its allies put the security of the ships at risk but said that “their presence will decrease.”

South Korea said on Tuesday it would “review its stance” on joining US operations in the Strait of Hormuz after President Trump urged Seoul to take part in what he called “Project Freedom,” following Iran’s apparent attack on one of its ships.

An explosion and fire were reported on a South Korean cargo ship on Monday in the main waterway, which has been effectively blocked since the outbreak of the Mideast conflict on February 28.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that all 24 crew members aboard the HMM Namu – including six South Koreans – were unharmed and that the fire on board had been “completely extinguished.”

Mr. Trump said the incident should prompt South Korea to join U.S. efforts to steer ships stuck in the port, a major oil export route that Seoul relies on.

On Tuesday, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it would “carefully review our situation” but did not commit to any change.

Seoul will consider its position based on international law, the security of international sea lanes, its cooperation with the United States and the security situation on the Korean peninsula, the ministry said.

It added that it was “actively participating in international discussions on cooperation to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”

HMM Namu is about 590 feet long and sails under the flag of Panama, data from the MarineTraffic show tracking site shows.

CBS/AFP

Danish giant Maersk said on Tuesday that one of its ships had successfully sailed through the Strait of Hormuz under US escort.

The ship, the US-flagged Alliance Fairfax, had been stuck in the Gulf since the outbreak of war in February and was “given the opportunity” to leave under US military escort, Maersk said in a statement.

“The ship then left the Persian Gulf escorted by US military equipment” on May 4, the company said, adding that “the voyage was completed without incident, and all crew members are safe and unharmed.”

Two U.S. Navy destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf after navigating the Iranian Strait, according to defense officials who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity to discuss national security issues.

The USS Truxtun and USS Mason, supported by Apache helicopters and other aircraft, faced a series of joint threats during the passage, defense officials said. Iran has launched small boats, missiles and drones against them in what officials have described as continued violence.

Despite the intensity of the attack, no American ships were hit.

Military officials said the defenses, bolstered by air support, successfully intercepted or neutralized each incoming threat. They added that no projectiles were launched that reached the ships.

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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that talks with the US are progressing but criticized the US military’s Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz.

“The events in Hormuz make it clear that there is no military solution to the political crisis,” Araghchi said in a post on social media. “As negotiations progress with Pakistan’s benevolent effort, the US should be wary of being dragged into the mess by ill-wishers. So should the UAE.”

“Project Freedom is Project Deadlock,” he added.